Facing the Darkness part 3
by lunerwerewolf
Summary: 18 years have passed since Conrart was brutally assaulted by one of his own men. now with his tormentor's release from his exile is Canrad's happy life about to fall apart?
1. Chapter 1

Yozak Gurrier smiled to himself as he read a story aloud to his children. _The High Flying Adventures Douglas the Dragonet, _was Ysolde's favorite and she asked for it every night. Her little brother, who was often mistaken for her twin because of how close they were in age, bore her obsession with good grace so long as they varied which one of Douglas's adventures they were reading nightly. They had a grand total of 67 of the dragonet's adventure books. Most of which his little girl could quote verbatim. Actually her attention to the little details of a story reminded him of her mother.

His youngest child, little Dan Hiri, was currently listening to the story with rapt attention, no doubt still dreaming of the days when he too would be able to see the Dragon Preserve, or climb the mountains of Francia, or play in the warm surf of Caloria's coastal waters. The boy had his namesake's wanderlust, and story time was the only time he held still unless he was asleep.

He was the one who Conrart joked was going to give him gray hair. He was also the only one of their children who bore little resemblance to Conrart. The boy was usually up a tree, in a mud puddle or playing at adventures in the palace green houses or gardens. He glanced over at his mate; the other man was curled up in an armchair, completing some paperwork.

He finished the story and laid the book aside, smiling at the sight of his kids, Ian and Ysolde where curled up together sound asleep on the floor at his feet, Dan Hiri, was curled up in one of the armchairs also asleep. He rose from his chair and carefully gathered his two eldest into his arms, before carrying them into their shared bedroom, a minute later, Conrart followed him with Dan Hiri in his arms. The other man smiled at him and carefully laid their small son down on his bed in the nursery. Technically Ysolde and Ian had their own beds, but they never woke up in them. The two really where twins, in everything but the year of their birth - they even finished each other's sentences.

He and Conrart had given up on trying to get the two to sleep alone, for now they would allow it.

He finished settling the two down and gently covering them, and smiled at the sight of the two curling up against each other. He kissed each child on the cheek before rising from his spot at the end of the bed and going to gently kiss his youngest child. Conrart did the same.

He wrapped one arm around the smaller man's waist as they made their way out of the nursery. In the 18 years that had passed since Aisen's trial their family had grown closer and stronger. Ysolde was now 16, the equivalent of about 8 years old. Little Ian was 14, the equivalent of 7. Their youngest son was only 7, thus not quite the equivalent of a human of 3 and a half.

"We need to move Ysolde and Ian out of the nursery soon," Conrart said simply as they headed into their own bedroom. Yozak nodded his agreement, and began to get ready for bed. He paused briefly in the act of pulling out his sleep pants. He looked over at his naked mate and put them back into the drawer. Moving across the room he sidled behind Conrart, and pulled the man against him - gently grinding himself against Conrad's beautiful ass.

"Leave them off." He told Conrad firmly, referring to the sleeping pants in Conrart's hands. "I intend to make full use of your naked body against mine tonight."

Conrart trembled beneath his hands, and carefully ground back against him. "All that I am is for your pleasure, my love." He replied calmly, his voice a bit husky with desire.

"It would pleasure me, to use your body thoroughly." Yozak whispered, grinding his growing erection into Conrart's backside, as he spoke he'd moved his hand around to fondle his mate's penis.

Conrart gasped his quivering member growing rock hard under Yozak's touch. "Then if it pleases you to take me until I can no longer sit down, please do so."

That was all the invitation Yozak needed. Still gently fondling the other man he began to gently herd him towards the bed.

~~~***~~~

Conrart opened his eyes slowly, marveling at the feeling of Yozak gently carding a hand through his hair. He flushed, slightly embarrassed; he hadn't passed out from the pleasure of making love to his husband in more than a decade. He shifted and snuggled up against the other man. "Thank you." He whispered.

After 3 children and 4 pregnancies, he knew how his body reacted to being impregnated. Shifting slightly against Yozak in an effort to find a comfortable resting spot, he laid his head on Yozak's chest and smiled to himself keeping his suspicions that this night's coupling had rendered him with child again, to himself until he knew for sure.

~~~***~~~

Aisen rose quickly from his bed, and gazed down at his sleeping wife. He'd made full use of her body again tonight. Sighing softly he left the bedroom he'd shared with the woman for the past 4 months and headed into the single bedroom shared by her two children. He stood just inside the doorway for a few minutes watching the little Half-breeds sleep.

To make matters worse they were female, all he could ever do with them was sell them off to some man – if any would have them – call it a marriage, and hope that he and his wife got a good bride price for them. He groaned, thinking about how his own son – his only son – was being raised by that worthless whore he used to fancy. He had to rescue the boy. Had to ensure he would be raised to be a man, and not raised to bend over and take it.

That was surely how he'd learn to be, if he stayed with his whore of a mother.

Other than that, all he was likely to learn was how to lie, cheat, steal and whore his way to getting what he wanted in life. He'd be damned if his son was going to grow up to be a useless, lay about, fop. Which was all he would be if he didn't rescue him for his whore of a mother.

It was time he went home.

He'd find a way to get the boy.

He had to.

~~~***~~~

Alison watched her new husband as he stood in the doorway watching her little girls sleep. He was such a nice, sweet, and caring man. He was so good with children. It really was a shame he would never have any children of his own. Not when an accident on the border of Shin Makoku had cost him his testacies 18 years ago. She often wondered why he didn't just return to Shin Makoku. She had a family home there, and her own father still lived, but she'd been a love struck fool. She'd met that damned human and run off with him. He'd gotten 2 children on her before up and vanishing, right after her youngest was born. She'd seen him three years ago, in the arms of some human woman, holding a small child in his arms. He'd forgotten her and her children.

She'd been too humiliated to go home to the family who'd told her not to go with him in the first place.

She'd been lucky, when she met Aisen, he'd soon moved in with her and made their family complete, treating the girls as if they where his own.

Smiling gently she slipped into the room beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked quietly.

His answer startled her. "My son," he replied quietly.

"You never told me you had a son."

He offered her a small smile. "I've never seen him." He said sadly. "But I want this for him, a good life, with a proper family."

"What happened?" she asked after a minute, gently taking his arm to lead him back into their bedroom.

Aisen sat down on the foot of their bed and rubbed his temples. "I did something completely stupid." He said after a moment. "I fell madly in love with this man. He came from a well respected family. One that's considerably better off than my own. I- I thought he loved me to. I wanted to marry him. We where intimate, obviously. We were discussing marriage, when he – when he found out he was pregnant with our first child. I was elated, but he – he was furious. He- he said I'd ruined his life. He didn't want it. I – I tried to talk him out of it but he decided to get rid of it. He- he had a miscarriage. But was miraculously still pregnant afterwards, he – he had originally been carrying twins. I- I still wanted to marry him, if only to do what was right for our child. I almost had him convinced, when his elder brother found out he was pregnant. He cried rape, rather than face the consequences of his actions. His family made him keep the child, and used their influence to have me branded a rapist. I- I decided to leave the country for a while, but that wasn't enough for his elder brother. I'd almost crossed the border when the man and some of his friends caught up with me. He had me held down while he, well. I honestly can't blame him, if one of my sisters told me they'd been raped, I would have done the same to the bastard."

Alison wrapped her husband of the past three months in her arms. He was a great man, after everything that had happened to him. He understood and sympathized for his ex lover's elder brother. Personally she would have been furious.

He sighed, "I worry about my child, I'm fairly certain it was a boy. I worry about the kind of man he will become when his 'mother' is, how he is. I worry that all my child will ever learn is how to lie, cheat, steal, seduce, and whore his way into getting his way."

Alison gently rubbed his shoulders. "Why don't we go back to Shin Makoku, and see if you can get to know your child. That way you can be a positive influence on the child. Hopefully you'll be able to help steer him clear of his 'mother's' shortcomings and amoral tendencies."

He gave her a smile, "I'd like that. Maybe, if the man still doesn't want our child he'll let me have him."

"I'd be fine with the idea of taking your child in if that happens. We can move back to my family's farm and raise all three of the children there. What do you think?"

"I think it's a good idea. Let's leave in a week."

That decided they finally went back to bed.

~~~***~~~


	2. Chapter 2

Conrad smiled at his young daughter, as he rode beside her, carefully holding his youngest child in his arms. Ysolde laughed as she urged her little spotted pony into a trot, "Race you home Ian." She called over her shoulder. Ian turned his head and gazed up at Conrart with beseeching blue eyes. "ma'ma, May I?" he asked quietly.

Conrart smiled at the boy, "Go ahead," he said simply, watching as his young son urged his own little bay pony after his sister, minding the preset rule not to gallop outside of an emergency or equestrian class.

"Ma'ma," Dan Hiri's soft but oddly serious voice drew his attention as firmly as the soft tug at his sleeve. "Faster? Please, they'll win."

Conrad smothered a laugh, lest he wound the small boy's ample noble pride and kicked Bain into a trot. The big war horse easily kept pace with the two smaller ponies. He could not risk damaging either of his older children's pride by 'beating them' at a game he technically wasn't even involved in. but at the same time, he knew his youngest would not appreciate 'losing' at a game he technically hadn't been invited to join.

Perhaps it was time he bought his youngest son his own pony, Ysolde and Ian had both been a bit older then Dan Hiri, when he'd given them their first pony, but Dan Hiri was the better horsemen. This was partly due to the vast difference in age between not only Dan Hiri and his siblings, but his Cousins as well.

All of the poor boy's cousins where either closer in age to Ysolde and Ian, or babies in their own parents arms – like Finn's younger brother, and Conrart's own baby sister.

He honestly didn't want to think about that one. His mother and her husband where not having sex, damn it!

All three of his children where giggling as they rode side by side through the palace gates. In less than an hour's time they would all be gathering for dinner. Conrart smiled at Yozak as the man took their youngest son from his arms so that he could dismount. Swinging down with an easy grace he handed his reins to a waiting stable hand and watched his older children carefully dismount. After a moment's quiet thought he turned his attention to Yozak, the other man nodded his understanding. It was set then, they would speak tonight after the children where in bed.

He gazed over at his older children, who where currently debating the winner of today's impromptu race. "Children," he called mildly, "it's time for your studies."

He laughed when all three of his children groaned.

"But ma'ma, Math is pointless." Dan Hiri whined. "Don't need it for nothing."

Yozak glanced over at Conrart a small smile gracing his lips. Then he crouched down beside the small boy he'd recently put down. "It's 'I don't need it for anything' Danny, and yes you do. Or how will you know when you've been ripped off by a merchant when you go adventuring?"

"Oh;" the little boy said quietly. "I hadn't thought of that pa'pa. I guess math is okay." That said the small boy ran up the stairs and into the castle, leaving his parents to share an amused glance as they went about coercing his siblings up the stairs to their own studies.

~~~***~~~

"Ma'ma?"

Conrad looked up from the form he was filling out at the sound of his daughter's voice.

"What does li-liqui-liquidate mean?"

He deliberately spent a few minutes explaining the term in general, before inquiring after the contexts of its usage. Then he explained the word under the context it was being used. Thus having outlived his immediate usage, he went back to his own work.

~~~***~~~

Aisen watched as his wife's two daughters packed up their meager possessions, crying the entire time about how they didn't want to move. It was getting very, very irritating – and harder and harder to control his temper.

If that damned little girl didn't shut up and stop crying he was damned well going to give her something to cry about.

~~~***~~~

Conrad smiled up at Yozak as he lay naked on his back in their bed. Yozak was currently stripping out of the day's clothing and preparing for bed himself.

"So," the bigger man enquired quietly, as he brushed out his beautiful hair. "What was it you wanted to talk about, now that the little ones are down for the night?" setting the brush down on the vanity Yozak joined him on the bed, and soon Conrart was wrapped lightly in his arms.

Conrart shifted slightly getting comfortable. He wasn't stupid, the fact that Yozak had asked him to come to bed naked, again, meant that Yozak was probably going to make love to him again tonight. Not that he was complaining - falling asleep in Yozak's arms while they both basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking was a beautiful feeling.

Yozak pulled him closer, cuddling him into his arms.

Conrad smiled at his mate, "I think it's time we got Danny his own pony." He said after a moment.

"I'm not sure he's old enough for that, love." Yozak replied mildly, "he's only 7. Perhaps you're getting ahead of yourself?"

Conrart turned his head and met Yozak's warm, ice blue eyes, with his own honey brown. "I had my own pony at his age, and he's a better horseman then either of his siblings. He could ride before he could walk, Yozak. I'm not saying we should get him his own horse, but if we get him a proper 'children's pony' he'd have a bit more freedom and he wouldn't feel as left out of his elder siblings' games."

Yozak sighed, "alright, we'll go look at some ponies later in the week, if we find the perfect one, we can give the boy his own pony, but I think he will need a few more ground rules then Ian and Ysolde did just because he is so young."

Conrad smiled, "I agree with that, we'll have to sit down and come up with the rules he'll have to abide by if he wishes to be allowed to ride his pony."

"Then we have an agreement, love, we'll spend some time coming up with the new rules tomorrow, and then we'll find some time alone together to go look at some ponies." Yozak replied as he gently guided Conrart down to the bed, and pulled the covers up around them both. "Now, I think I'm going to make you scream in pleasure." That said the red-head disappeared beneath the covers.

Conrart smiled, more than willing to let Yozak give and take pleasure from his body, he spread his legs and waited, wondering just what the other man was going to do to him.

He didn't have to wait long before his unasked question was answered by Yozak's warm, wet mouth, engulfed the head of his penis. He moaned and groaned as Yozak gently worked him to a full raging erection, before gasping in dismay when the other man deftly tied a slim suede cord around the base of his penis denying him release.

Yozak crawled slowly up his still form, carefully licking, nipping and caressing his way up conrad's body in a sensual display of affection. "Mine," he whispered into his ear, before gently licking the shell Conrad's ear. "Just tell me to stop." He whispered, before briefly leaving his mate's side and opening a drawer in his bedside table and returning with a red, velvet, drawstring bag.

Conrart recognized it at once, and moaned slightly in anticipation.

Yozak kissed him gently, before opening the bag and pulling out a length of midnight black silk. Conrart didn't protest as he was blindfolded, he simply relaxed, and allowed himself to enjoy the sensations of submitting himself fully to his husband, lover, mate, and best friend. Yozak was all of those things and more, he trusted him implicitly.

He shivered with delight, when Yozak began to gently kiss him. Yozak slowly made his way across his chest to his nipples and slowly began to lick them, alternating between his nipples, licking one and fondling the other with his fingers, before finally taking one hardened little nub into his mouth and beginning to suck. Conrart moaned and arched his back tangling his hands in Yozak's hair.

Abruptly the man stopped and pulled away. "Now none of that," he said softly, gently gathering Conrart's wrists in one hand he pinned them over the other man's hands and soon had his wrists bound to the bed, with still more silk. He moved then gently rearranging Conrart into the position he wanted him in. Conrad couldn't help moaning when Yozak gently lifted his hips and propped him up on a pillow, to make it easier to enter him.

It had taken him years to become comfortable enough with sex to allow Yozak complete control like this. Actually this was something they hadn't done since before Aisen had raped him. He knew what Yozak putting that pillow under his hips meant. It meant that he was going to be powerless; it meant that he had no say in anything beyond the ability to stop it with a single word. For a moment he considered stopping it – but he found the soft tickle of a feather caressing its way down his skin to erotic to stop. Besides he loved and trusted Yozak. The man would never hurt him, so he simply relaxed and allowed himself to revel in the pleasure his mate was giving him.

Content with the knowledge that this time there would be no pain, and no shame, he spread his legs wider for his mate, and waited.

~~~***~~~

Alison, smiled as she put her daughters to bed, tomorrow they would be leaving to return to Shin Makoku she couldn't wait to see her homeland again, and to introduce her father to her daughters. She hoped he didn't say anything stupid about half-demons. The children were used to the occasional odd word about their heritage but Caloria was allied with Shin Makoku and most of them no longer feared Demons. Still it would be harder to change the views of the demons themselves then the views of the humans. Many of the human's didn't remember a time when they were at odds. Their people had been at peace for 25years, not long by demon standards but an entire generation by the standards of humans.

"Honey?" she asked quietly noting a darkening spot on her daughter's shoulder, "how did you get that bruise?"

Lizzy looked up at her for a long moment then seemed to look past her. "I fell," she replied in a sleepy voice. "Good night mommy."

Kissing her daughter's softly on the forehead she left the room, and found Aisen waiting for her on their bed, naked as the day he was born an expectant look on his face. She knew that look, she was about to be used for her husband's pleasure. But she couldn't complain, it was her duty as his wife to pleasure him.

~~~***~~~

Conrart gasped and whimpered with desire and need as Yozak lapped at his collarbone, and throat. His lover's hands roaming his body in a slow dance of sensual seduction had him desperately smothering loud cries of ecstasy. Yozak moved slowly down Conrart's body, gently teasing each and every sensitive spot.

Finally after half an hour of gentle teasing touch Yozak gently caressed Conrad's parted thighs- his fingers rubbing, slow, soft circles on the sensitive skin of his inner thigh. One hand caressed his hip, while the other slowly worked its way up his thigh, until at last Yozak began to gently fondle his balls. Conrart moaned in ecstasy and bucked almost wildly against the hand that was rolling and palming that very sensitive portion of his anatomy. If not for the thin suede cord binding the base of his penis, he would have cum right then and there.

Yozak deftly pinned him to the bed and waited for the spasms to pass. Once they did however, Conrad sensed the other man moving away. He whimpered piteously, lifting his hips in a blatant invitation, offering himself up wordlessly, he wanted Yozak inside of him.

A moment later he sensed Yozak's return and felt the man's hands again as his hips where lifted and propped a little higher up with cushions. Curious about what the other man was planning he bucked and tried to get Yozak to pay attention to his weeping member. To his utter dismay he felt Yozak tying silk around his ankles. The other man spread his legs further apart before binding his ankles to the bedposts effectively stealing the last of his mobility.

Yozak soothed Conrart gently caressing his sides, and proclaiming his love before finally settling between his loves's spread legs and beginning to lap at Conrad's exposed testacies, gently caressing the straining erection. After a while Yozak moved on, gently taking Conrart into his mouth again. He was bound so that he could hardly move his hips enough to buck but Conrart tried, whimpering and begging for release. Yozak's talented fingers slowly and deftly opening him only increased the stimulation, and his desire to cum.

Yozak's form loomed over him briefly, as the man whispered "I'm going to take you now." Into his ear, before he added "but first I'm going to free your ankles." A minute later his ankles were free of their restraints, and Yozak was slowly working his way deep into Conrad's body. Gently he began to thrust, taking his time over his love.

Conrart wrapped his legs around Yozak's hips, feeling the other man sink deeper and deeper into his tight passage with each thrust. Finally Conrart felt Yozak free his penis from its tie, and felt the other man removing his blindfold as the speed of his thrusts increased to a nearly wild and uncontrollable rate.

Yozak was close he could feel it.

Gentle hands worked at the knots of his blindfold, and the first and last thing he saw before he came explosively across his own chest, was Yozak' love filled blue eyes.

They came together in a moment of shared ecstasy, Yozak thrusting into Conrad gently until the last of his seed had been milked from his quivering member. For a moment they simply lay together in an exhausted heap. Then Yozak carefully pulled out of Conrad's body and set about freeing his hands.

The last thing Conrart heard before falling into an exhausted sleep with his head resting on Yozak's chest was his lover's voice softly proclaiming his love.

~~~***~~~

Alison moved carefully as she went to get her husband the snack he'd asked for. In his enthusiasm he hadn't exactly been gentle with her, and she was a bit sore. He'd apologized profusely afterwards, but she waved away his concerns after all it was flattering that after several months of marriage he was still so eager to make love to her.

~~~***~~~

Conrart sighed as he pulled on a robe and quietly made his way into the nursery. He'd had that dream again the one where Aisen came and took away his baby girl. It was a recurring nightmare of his since shortly after Ysolde's birth and one he usually ignored, and just went back to sleep. Tonight however was different it had felt more real somehow. He just had to check on his child, that was all, and then he'd go back to bed.

He wandered into the room, all three of them where sleeping soundly. He rearranged the covers making sure both Ian and Ysolde where warm enough before moving kissing each of them on the top of the head and moving on. Alone in his bed a little was from his older siblings Danny's bright hair stood out in stark contrast to the darkness. Conrart was gentle as he carefully pulled the boy's thumb out of his mouth and rearranged the blankets, tucking the small child into bed again. The little boy was the very image of Yozak, from his bright hair to his ice blue eyes, but he was smaller, and more easily chilled then either of his siblings. Unlike Ian who looked like Conrart but resembled Yozak more in build, Dan Hiri was a small slight boy and like Conrart himself he got cold easily, though he never admitted it. having tucked them all back in against the chill of the night's air, Conrad made his way back to his own bed and was soon wrapped in Yozak's strong arms.

"I love you," Yozak whispered into his ear as he settled himself back down for the night. "I'll keep you all safe." He promised.

Conrart smiled, "I love you too, and I know you will." He whispered before succumbing to sleep again.

~~~***~~~

Well what do you think so far? Read and Review please.


	3. Chapter 3

Conrad smiled to himself as he put the finishing touches on the list of rules he was revising for his youngest child. Tomorrow he and Yozak were going to go and look at several different strings of ponies. Hopefully they would be able to find one who was suitable for their youngest son. While they were at it he also had to keep his eyes open for a new horse for himself Bain was getting up in years and soon he would have to start training a replacement.

He looked up as his door opened and smiled at the sight of little Danny, the boy practically skipped up to his desk. Dan Hiri climbed nimbly up into his lap and fixed him with a very serious expression – which looked totally ridiculous on a child the human equivalent of 3.

"Mama," Dan Hiri asked with complete seriousness, "What's a whore?"

Conrart sputtered completely floored by the question. It took him a moment to regain control over his own tongue but after too long he managed to inquire. "Where ever did you hear such a term?"

Dan Hiri squirmed slightly; he never had been one to hold still. "Pweston, Justin, and Percy, where talking 'bout going to town n visit the whores this evening. I askeded them what a whore was but they no answer. Percy said they were fun to go see, when you is old nough. Mama, if whores are fun can we go see one? I'm old nough. I'm a big boy, like Ian."

Conrart groaned, "No honey, we can't go see a whore." He made a mental note to skin the three men mentioned alive.

"But why?"

Conrart felt his ears going red, and sighed. Somehow he got the impression that this was going to be harder to explain then the time Dan Hiri had walked in on him and Yozak making love in their office.

~~~***~~~

Yozak smiled to himself as he made his way down the corridors to his husband's office. They each had two offices, one that was easily accessible to their men and one that they shared in their own rooms. At this time of the day Conrart would be in his office, nearer to their men. So he was headed down to gently remind his lover and mate to actually eat. Today his chosen form of gentle reminder was the picnic basket and blanket slung across his arm.

Either he was going to coax Conrart out of his office for a few hours of romantic leisure or he was going to spread out the blanket on Conrad's office floor and have lunch with him there. He'd have to remember to lock the door behind himself this time, just in case one thing led to another – as it usually did – he didn't want a repeat of the time Dan Hiri had walked in on him with Conrart bent over the desk. Or of the time Ysolde and Ian had walked into their bedroom to find them in yet another moment of intimacy – although that time had been notably less progressed.

He pushed the door open with a big smile on his face only to freeze at the sight of Conrart in the middle of giving three of his men a firm dressing down. The older two men Preston and to his surprise Justin, stood at quiet attention their heads bowed as their commanding officer ripped into them verbally despite never once raising his voice. The younger man Percy, on the other hand looked somewhere between contrite and angry. It was odd considering the fact that Conrart was currently lecturing them on the fine points of discretion.

Finally after about five more minutes Conrart wound down and dismissed them, but not before striping all three men of their leave time for the next month. It was one of the harshest punishments he'd ever given for what appeared to be a minor infraction of some form.

"Who spit in the captain's breakfast?" Percy inquired quietly as the three men walked out of the room.

"And gentlemen, I never want to hear one of my children ask me what a whore is again – least of all my seven year old." Conrart told them firmly as they left.

Yozak flinched, no wonder Conrart was so furious. He was notoriously overprotective of their children.

He stood quietly in the corner until the three chastised men had seen themselves out, before carefully approaching his highly annoyed mate. He set the basket and blanket down on top of the desk, before carefully beginning to rub Conrart's shoulders, in an attempt to calm him down.

It worked and in a few short minutes Conrart was leaning into his arms with his eyes closed, making cute little moaning noises. Those noises where all it took to have Yozak highly aroused. Lunch was going to have to wait, he wanted Conrart and he wanted him now. The chair was a fine spot; he'd simply slip in behind his mate and have the other man straddle his lap.

Gently he dropped his hand to Conrad's hips, pulled out the man's customarily tucked in shirt, and slid his hand down into the back of the other man's pants, while fumbling for the ties of his own pants. "Stand up, so I can get behind you, love, I want you in my lap while I make love to you." He purred.

To his surprise Conrart pulled away, but stayed in his chair. "I'm sorry love, but I'm really not in the mood." Conrart paused and looked down, "besides I'm still a bit sore from last night … and this morning."

Yozak blinked at that bit of information and then crossed his arms, "why didn't you tell me I was hurting you?" He demanded after a few minutes of just looking at his mate.

"At the time it wasn't an issue, it felt really good."

Yozak sighed, this had only happened once before Aisen's assault on Conrart, but had happened several times since. The first time Conrart had reported feeling 'tender' after they'd made love he'd forced the other man to go and see Gisela. She'd given Conrart some salve, and prohibited any further intimacy for 2 days. Conrart had been beet red, with embarrassment as he thanked Gisela and left. At the time Yozak had been deeply concerned for Conrart's mental health. He'd feared that Aisen's assault might have damaged Conrad's self esteem to the point that the man might not feel worthy enough to let him know if he was hurting him. Gisela had simply told him that while it was a possibility, she doubted it. She'd also gently reminded him that Aisen's assault had left Conrart with some internal scaring, and told him that the tenderness was probably due to scare tissue stretching. Still it was something he was concerned about even now, years later. It was a foolish worry, and he knew it. Conrad had told him on a few occasions when he was being too enthusiastic in his lovemaking.

"Come on, I'll take you to see Gisela." Yozak said after a moment.

Conrart offered him a small smile, "I'm fine Yozak, really – I'm just a little tender."

They discussed it quietly for a few minutes, before finally Yozak gave way when he heard Conrart's stomach growl. He did however put his foot down – at least somewhat – they were going to go see Gisela, after they ate.

With a small sigh Yozak set about spreading the plush blanket on the floor in front of Conrart's desk. Conrart smiled and came around the desk to help him set up their impromptu indoor picnic. After retrieving the basket and settling himself down on the blanket next to Conrart he wrapped his arm around the other man and gently kissed his temple. Yozak smirked, no one was around and there was no chance of anyone seeing them so he most likely would be able to get his husband to drop his noble pride long enough to indulge him.

Pulling out a ceramic jar of chicken curry and another of the steamed rice, that had been made by the palace cooks for today's lunch, he deftly opened the lids and pulled out a single bowl. It only took him a minute to pour out an adequate helping of curry over rice. That done he pulled out a single spoon, smiling at Conrart's raised eyebrow; he had a second set of utensils just in case Conrad objected.

It took a few minutes but eventually Conrart gave in and allowed Yozak to feed him.

~~~***~~~

They'd only just finished putting the remnants of their lunch away when there was a knock on the door. "Enter," Conrart called as he attempted to remove himself from his rather comfortable place between Yozak's legs. Yozak foiled his attempt by tightening his arms around his waist, and gently licking the spot right behind his ear that never failed to turn him to mush.

Gwendal and Günter walked into the room just seconds later to find him sitting between Yozak's legs, his back resting against the other man's chest.

Gwendal offered them a small smile, his eyes flicking to the picnic basket, "Well I see you're taking good care of my little brother Yozak." he paused briefly, then turned his attention to Conrart. "We came down here to drag you down to the kitchens to make sure you eat, after you didn't show up for the family meal twice in the same day. However I see Yozak ensured that you ate."

Conrart flushed hotly at the mention of their earlier missed breakfast. He'd been having a lot of bad dreams lately and had taken to clinging to Yozak at night. He'd even taking to asking for physical comfort – since in his dreams he often saw Aisen, and then Yozak would either be killed defending him and their children or he would out right reject him.

Yozak obliged his increasing sexual appetite – which may have been a sign that he really was pregnant, since he tended to spend a lot of time with Yozak buried inside of him during the early stages of pregnancy.

The dreams themselves were not new; he'd had quite a few of them over the years. Dreams where he awoke, hyperventilating from remembered pain, only to have Yozak patently sooth him back to sleep. Now however his dreams had taken a different and disturbing turn, they were more frequent too.

He'd awoken last night in the early hours of the morning for no real reason, and had not been able to go back to sleep until Yozak had made love to him twice. This morning they'd climbed out of bed for their usual morning routine of getting the kids and themselves ready for the day, and had sent the kids down for breakfast, before sitting down to discuss the upcoming trip to the Weller lands. However, one thing had led to another, and Yozak had taken him an additional two times before they'd been able to leave the solitude of their rooms.

Needless to say, they'd missed breakfast.

"Sorry, we got distracted;" Yozak told Gwendal offhandedly, "we had to talk about our plans for our trip to check up on how things are going on Weller lands. Dan Hiri is coming with us this year – not just Ysolde and Ian, so it requires some additional planning. We are outnumbered now."

Gwendal nodded and Günter opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a soft voice from outside the door.

"It's okay, there's no funny noises coming from mama's office this time."

Conrart went beet red at the implications of his daughter's words and turned so that he could bury his face in an equally red Yozak's shoulder. Gwendal and Günter snorted with suppressed laughter, as all three of his children tumbled into the room vying for their attention.

~~~***~~~

Conrart moaned, his children where currently asleep in the nursery, and he was currently laying face down on the bed, with Yozak giving him a gentle massage. His mate's hands brushed his cheeks gently before Yozak asked, "would you like me to help you apply that salve?"

Conrart moaned at the thought and spread his legs in answer, a moment latter Yozak was using his fingers to apply a liberal amount of the salve to his tender passage.

He fell asleep an hour later with his head pillowed on Yozak's chest, content to simply listen to the other man's heart beat.

~~~***~~~

Yozak couldn't help wondering if perhaps he'd gotten Conrart pregnant again, since the man's desire seemed to have increased a lot in the past two weeks.

~~~***~~~

Conrart wandered quietly through the stable, in everyday clothing with Yozak at his side. His first order of business was to check the stables for a pony for his son, however this was the same stable that he usually bought his own warhorses and had bought the ponies ridden by his elder two children. The aged, human stable master – a man by the name of Faolan – walked up to him with a smile on his face that showed his missing teeth. "Conrart, Yozak," the man said in his customary drawl, "ya shopping for ye selves or has one o' 'u pups outgrown his pony already?"

Conrart smiled, "a bit of both actually."

Faolan smiled, "Cory, get over here boy and help these two pick a pony. You treat 'em right, ye hear?" he called nodding his head briefly in their direction before sauntering off.

~~~***~~~

So far they had several candidates for Danny's new pony, however a beautiful white gelding, blue roan mare and a startlingly red yearling stallion stood out the most. Though the last one gave him pause, he didn't think his son was old enough to handle the inevitable issues that came with a stallion. Ysolde's and Ian's mounts where a gelding and a mare – hell his own steeds tended to be mares. However the little thing seemed oddly placid.

It took a little bit of haggling but finally they convinced Cory to put the ponies under saddle and lead them around so that they could see how they reacted. It soon became clear that the little white was unsuitable for their son, as it kept trying to bite its handler and went through the entire exercise with its ears laid back. The little pony simply was not suited to having a young rider, he seemed rather foul tempered – which did explain why the best had been gelded as a yearling.

All three animals where tested for skittishness, by a man waving a bag and some cloth around and the application of a few well placed loud noises. The red started at a particularly loud noise, shying and prancing around in the same place – but otherwise remained unfazed. The white and the roan had similar reactions – though the roan pranced a bit more then the red before settling.

So their decision was made then, it would have to be the mare, he didn't want his son hurt because his stallion decided it wanted to impress a mare. A whispered conversation with Yozak confirmed their choice, and he was just about to go and inform Faolan of his choice when a black barn cat – of all things – darted out in front of them obviously terrified by the rather large, barking hound at its heels.

Cory cursed and grabbed for the Mare's reins – to late – the animal had reared, screaming in alarm, its eyes rolling as it lashed out at them all. Hooves flying in all directions as the obviously skittish best had a deadly panic attack.

Conrart didn't even think he could sit that horse, in such a state!

Off to his side the red stallion trumpeted his annoyance and reared coming down hard; the dog – now terrified turned and fled, unhurt with its tail between its legs.

Hostlers scrambled about trying to gain control of the spooked roan and the enraged white horse, when suddenly the roan turned and ears laid back in rage attacked the first thing he saw.

Conrart

~~~***~~~

Yozak didn't know why but as the horse turned he felt an all encompassing need to protect his mate, without thinking he put himself in front of Conrart just as the mare charged. He had only a moment to contemplate the significance of the move before the mare was on him.

The only times he felt that sort of all encompassing drive to protect was when Conrart was hurt or pregnant.

Thankfully the hostlers where able to get the mare back under control before it could do anything more than knock him over. He sat up as the hostlers led the still fighting pony away, and accepted Conrart's hand so the other man could help him to his feet.

The roan was defiantly out.

It would appear that they would have to seek a proper mount for their son at another establishment.

"Yozak, look," Conrart said mildly gesturing at the red stallion.

Yozak followed Conrart's gaze and found the little red stallion, standing protectively over what appeared to be a thin – almost emaciated – black kitten.

"I don't think it's one of the stable's cats." He said after a moment.

Conrart took a couple of slow cautious steps forward, allowing both the pony and the kitten time to adjust to his presence before carefully kneeling down and picking up the bedraggled little ball of black fur. The kitten mewed pathetically, and Conrart winced at the sight of the dog inflicted bite wounds. The poor thing looked like it had been used as a toy.

Carefully he wrapped the little thing in his coat, before gently stroking the stallion's nose. He turned his attention to Yozak and offered him a small smile. "I always wanted a cat," he said after a second, giving the other man the look that never failed to melt his heart.

Yozak sighed apparently they were going home with a small black kitten.

Faolan appeared at Yozak's side then, apologizing profusely for the disturbance. "Damned dog," the man grumbled, "belongs to the butcher two streets over, always harassin' the stable cats. He looked over at the small kitten cowering in Conrart's arms. "Aint never seen that one; he aint mine. Take him if'n ye wish."

"She," Conrart whispered, "she's a girl; and how much do you want for this red stallion?"

Faolan looked at the horse for a few minutes, than named a price. Yozak blinked, that was a bit low. "Aint never heard of a red horse that wasn't unlucky."

Yozak snorted at the superstitious nonsense of the human tribe, a horse was a horse, and this one was perfect.

~~~***~~~

Sorry this took so long – midterms (shudders) please read and review.


	4. Chapter 4

A scream woke Yozak in the middle of the night, jolting him awake. Beside him Conrart was thrashing to get free of the weight of his arm draped across the smaller man's hips. Cursing under his breath he disentangled his limbs from his husband's and moved away. Conrart scrambled away so quickly he fell from the bed to the floor. Yozak pulled himself up from the bed and went to him. Crouching down he whispered soothing words to his mate until the other man finally woke up.

The smaller man still occasionally had nightmares of his night spent under Aisen's control – although he usually simply woke in a cold sweat and cuddled up against Yozak's chest whimpering, until he was soothed back into sleep. Yozak had long ago come to terms with the fact that while Conrart had moved on with his life, he would never truly be healed.

Still Conrart hadn't had a night this bad since before Ian was conceived, and Yozak couldn't help wondering what had set his beloved mate off.

Slowly he got Conrart to his feet and back into bed pulling the covers up around his shoulders and kissing his forehead gently. "Aisen?" he asked quietly. Conrart just nodded. Yozak offered him a small smile, "would you like to talk about it?"

Conrart shook his head; Yozak sighed and patted his shoulder, "I'll make you some tea." He said after a minute and turned to make his way over to the bar in the living room. He froze when he came face to face with all three of his children; they gazed up at him with wide eyes.

"Is mommy alright?" Dan Hiri, ever the boldest, asked quietly.

Conrart offered the boy a small smile, "I'm fine honey," he said quietly. "I just had a nightmare."

The small boy scrambled past his father and clambered up onto the bed and snuggled himself up against Conrart, dragging his little blue blanket with him. As if that was the wave of water that swamped the floodgates, Ysolde and Ian flung themselves at their mother curling up around Conrart like little puppies. Yozak laughed, "Make that, two cups of tea and three cups of coco." He said with a shrug and disappeared into the other room.

When he returned carrying a tray burdened with the before mentioned drinks, he found Ysolde, kneeling beside Conrart offering him her little stuffed doggy, "to keep the nightmares away," with a very serious expression on her face. Ysolde had had nightmares, shortly after Dan Hiri was conceived, waking up screaming almost every night for a month, from dreams she couldn't remember. Finally Conrart had gone to a toymaker in the capital city and paid the man to create a truly odd looking little dog plushy – it was very little but had big ears and a thin tail. It was quite cute with its small bead collar. Conrart had called it a Chihuahua, -apparently it was a very small and spunky bread from earth – and told their daughter they most ridiculous lie he'd ever heard. However it had worked, their daughter believed that the little stuffed dog had the magical power to chase away bad dreams. She'd soon stopped having nightmares almost altogether.

So it was quite cute that she now offered the little stuffed thing to Conrart.

Conrart declined graciously, careful to preserve their small child's dignity and noble pride. Gently he reminded her that the stuffed animal was hers, and that he had Yozak to chase away his nightmares.

Smiling at the truly cute sight, he offered each member of his family a cup before taking his own and setting aside the tray. He settled himself down on the side of the bed, wrapping his arm around his mate. They waited, until finally their children finished their beverages and one by one fell asleep, and then carried them back to their beds, tucking the children in before returning to their own bed for some much needed sleep. Yozak settled himself under the covers and waited, sure enough a moment later Conrart settled himself against him, his right ear resting against his chest. Ever since he'd come home after that horrible night with Aisen, Conrart had slept better when he could hear his heartbeat. He slept curled against him almost every night, but whenever he had a nightmare Conrart simply couldn't sleep without the comforting sound.

It had affected both of their lives.

What worried him was that the nightmares had started to come with an alarming frequency. It had been 18 years, and Aisen was now free to return to Shin Makoku. Conrart he knew was subconsciously reacting to that new threat. He'd have to find away to calm Conrart's fears.

He was almost asleep when the tabby cat Conrart had rescued three weeks ago leaped up onto the bed curling up against the other man's hip. Yozak smiled, "hello cat." He said quietly, remembering Conrart's surprise when he'd bathed the soot covered kitten and found not a black cat but a silver and russet tabby.

FTD3FTD3

"Mommy?" the soft voice woke Alison from her sleep.

Alison blinked the sleep from her eyes, and sat up slowly in bed, she was a little sore she'd spent the day packing up the things Aisen had decided they would be taking with them while he looked on and determined what she and the girls would have to leave behind. Then after she'd put the girls to bed he'd told her to wait for him in bed naked. He'd used her body to satisfy his loins at least three times before he'd passed out from exhaustion, and she'd slipped into sleep herself.

So finding her youngest standing at the edge of her bed a mere hour later was less then pleasant. "What is it honey?" she asked quietly, trying not to wake the man sleeping beside her.

"I had a nightmare," the child whispered, "can I sleep with you?"

Alison was torn; she wanted very badly to comfort her child, to let the girl curl up safely against her. However she remembered what had happened the last time one of her children had crawled into bed with her, it hadn't ended well. Vianna had crawled into bed with her and gone to sleep, things had been peaceful for a few hours before Aisen had woken up and wanted her to do her duty as his wife. She'd protested only to have Aisen reply with 'Then send her away or let her watch.' She'd sent her daughter back to bed.

With a sigh she climbed out of bed and put on her robe, leading her daughter back to her room she tucked the child into bed, and curled up around her, singing softly until her daughter fell asleep. Only then did she get up and return to bed.

Aisen wasn't a bad man; he was just a little opinionated about a woman's place and duties to her husband.

FTD3FTD3

Conrart smiled at his daughter as Ysolde came at him with steel in her hand, a cute expression of concentration on her face. He'd decided the moment she was born that he wanted his daughter to be as proficient with a blade as any of his sons, and had treated them all accordingly. He'd also gotten Yozak to teach them the basics of the knife. He was good with a knife but Yozak was an artist with one.

For now his training sessions with his kids only lasted about a half hour each – although Danny's sessions where quite a bit shorter. He was after all still a very little boy.

FTD3FTD3

Aisen suppressed the urge to growl as his 'daughters' cried on the docks - whining that they 'didn't want to go'. It was damned annoying, for now he was putting up with it, but he was seriously tempted to slap the little girls.

They were embarrassing him.

To make matters worse it had only taken him and Alyson a week to get ready to leave, but because of the little mongrels he'd been forced to wait a month before they could get passage aboard another ship. They'd missed the last one!

FTD3FTD3

Yozak smiled as he went through his sleeping children's bags making absolutely sure they'd packed everything they would need for their 3 month trip into the Weller lands. They were going to go and execute their duties to the people who lived on their lands, to lend a hand and to help wherever and however they could. Both Conrart and Yozak where determined that their children would understand that Peasants where just like they were, that they had only been born into a less privileged family then they had, and that since they had been born into wealth and power it was their job to help and protect them, not to get richer off of their pain.

FTD3FTD3

Conrart walked with his children into the Courtyard. He'd promised them all a gift before they left on their trip. The first of the gifts had come last night in the form of new waterproof traveling bags decorated with the children's favorite colors. Dark brown with purple for Ysolde, dark brown with indigo blue for Ian, and black with deep green for Dan Hiri, each embossed with their family crest and the child's name. The children had all been delighted and where now waiting quietly on the steps to see what the new gift was to be.

Yozak had also informed him last night that he had a surprise for him to.

The children glanced up at the sound of horses' hooves on the stones of the courtyard. Conrart couldn't help smiling at the bright smiles on his children's faces. Ian and Ysolde were thrilled to see their beloved ponies decked out in entirely new tack, which matched the base color of their saddlebags.

The two children looked as if they wanted to run to their ponies, but they had been riding since before they could walk, and knew better then to run near them. They controlled themselves, each walking up to their pony and investigating their new tack, before tying their packs onto the animals' saddles, and mounting. Their faces displayed surprise once they discovered the last gift strapped to the saddle. At Yozak's insistence they had given each of their older children their very own knife.

Beside him little Danny sighed looking at his elder siblings and their ponies with unconcealed longing. "Mama?" he asked quietly, "when will I be old 'nough?"

Conrart offered the boy a small smile. "Soon dear." He said simply just as Yozak led the red pony saddled in beautiful black tack, up to the steps. "Sooner than you would think."

The look of joy on his youngest child's face made it all worth it. The boy squeaked, choking back the high pitched squeal he no doubt longed to make, and reverently took the reins out of his father's hand. "You are to stay beside your mother or me on the trip out, and we will see how well you do on your own. Show us that you are indeed a big boy, and we might give you more freedom on the ride home." Yozak told the little boy seriously.

Dan Hiri nodded, "Yes sir." He said his voice grave, and his expression serious

– It was extremely cute watching a child the human equivalent of 3 trying to imitate his father's serious expression.

For that matter it was highly amusing to see Yozak take anything seriously.

"What's his name?" the little boy asked after a second.

Conrart smiled "I don't know honey, you haven't told us yet." He replied.

"You mean I get to name him?" at his parents nod, he smiled up at it and petting the horse's nose replied, "Blaze."

FTD3FTD3

Aisen growled in rage at the sight of his 'daughter', the miserable worthless child was walking on the ships rail, in danger of falling off and being lost to the sea. Not that that was a bad thing, it would be one less mongrel in the world – at least – but somehow he didn't think her mother would be in the mood to lay with him if her 'precious baby girl' was lost.

The sailors had called out to the child on several occasions trying to get her to come down off the rail lest she fall. However, the child paid them no heed, choosing instead to gawk at the strange creatures swimming and leaping free of the water below the ship's bow. Her little sister Lizzy was high up in the rigging making a monkey out of herself. A rangy and somewhat scruffy ship's cat strolled past him in search of rats and mice. Annoyed he kicked the thing sending it skittering ungracefully across the deck with an undignified yawl.

Finally beyond aggravated at the comments on the children's feats of balance and acrobatics he reached out and snagged hold of Vianna's long braid and pulled the child savagely back onto the deck scolding her for her impertinence and idiotic behavior.

All around him the deck went silent, save for his shouting and the child's pretend hysterics. Then Alyson was their comforting the worthless wretch and screaming at him. He protested saying that he was worried she'd get herself killed falling overboard and was trying to protect her. Alyson's sharp reply had been to inform him that, little girls where delicate creatures who needed gentle care, too heavy a hand could ruin them.

"And to light a hand, will spoil them." He snapped back disappearing into the cabin below.

FTD3FTD3

Yozak glanced back at his children, startled by the happy squealing, he knew that squeal, and it generally meant that one of his children – usually Danny – was doing something intolerably stupid. Danny however was currently riding quietly beside his mother. Both adults drew to a halt and turned in their saddles to look at their two older children.

Yozak's jaw dropped.

Ysolde, his little girl, was standing proudly on her saddle. His heart leapt into his throat. It was true they were only walking but still, did the child have a death wish? If something spooked Sparkle, she could break her neck.

Alarmed and furious, he rained Black in sharply, the big horse reared and pivoted on his hind-hooves, before crashing back to the earth in a display that was normally a technique designed to bring him crashing down onto an opponent. In front of him Bain did the same, Conrart, he could tell, was furious. He was also too stunned for words.

"Ysolde Elizabeth Gurrier-Weller!" he barked, using what Conrart had often referred to as the 'each word is its own sentence voice' when they were children "Sit down in your saddle THIS INSTANT!"

Ysolde cringed at the tone of his voice and the sound of her middle name and looked over at him giving him her best innocent expression. "But Papa, you and Mama stand in your saddle."

He refrained from pointing out the difference in standing _on_ your saddle and standing _in_ your saddle. Instead he drew Black over to Sparkle and in one swift movement pulled his daughter off of her saddle and deposited her firmly across his lap. He delivered two quick swats – one for talking back and one for the stupid stunt, informing her firmly of what each was for before lifting her up and planting her firmly in front of him in Black's saddle like a small child.

Conrart road over quietly, still silent, still seething, took Sparkle's reins and tied them to his own saddle horn. He met the man's brown eyes, and saw his anger, but he also saw his understanding and knew Conrart's rage had little to do with his swatting their daughter. Conrart, he knew, would hold his tongue until he had sufficiently calmed down.

"You'll ride on your own when you've earned the privilege back." Yozak told the sniffling child in his arms. Gently pulling her closer to offer comfort after her punishment, it was after all the first time he'd ever spanked her. But what she'd done had been a threat to her life; he couldn't simply let it go unpunished. Taking away her pony was the set punishment for breaking any of the rules he and Conrart had set up for their safety in regards to the ponies.

FTD3FTD3

Sorry this is so short life happened, school, finals, papers, anyway ... I'll update as soon as I can. please read and reveiw

(a.n standing on your saddle is standing on the seat or on the skirting, standing in your saddle is standing up in the stirrups, much like one would stand up on a bike.)


	5. Chapter 5

Conrart suppressed the urge to start yelling at the over-muscled, brainless idiot he was currently trying –vainly – to reason with. He glanced over at his beloved mate who was calmly having a conversation with Sage and Leena. Their three children were happily playing with Sage's two boys while the adults tried to settle matters.

Leena was heavily pregnant, and oddly enough was married to both men. Ric – the overbearing idiot Conrart was currently trying really hard not to punch – had been and perhaps still was her first husband. Sage was the childhood friend who'd taken her in and married her after the man had thrown her out of his house. Nearly 9 months ago Ric had walked in on another man from his village raping his wife. He'd stuck by her – until he'd found out she was pregnant. Then he'd found out she was pregnant. He'd apparently demanded that she either 'take care of the situation' or 'get out of his house'. Leena had left not only his house but his village as well. Choosing instead to return to her father's house and rase her baby there.

Her father had instructed her to let the village think her husband had died tragically.

A few weeks after her arrival she'd started helping Sage – who'd lost his wife to snow fever the year before - with his two rambunctious children. She'd eventually told him everything, and 3 months later they'd been married.

They'd been happily married for the better part of 4 months when Ric came to her father's village looking for her. Apparently he missed her and still wanted her. However he still expected her to 'get rid of the child'.

This time however he wasn't asking on giving her an option. When they'd ridden through the village this morning, Ric had been trying to take her back home with him – against her will.

Conrart sighed, "sir Leena is no longer yours. She has a new life here."

"She is mine!" Ric snapped.

Conrart pinched the bridge of his nose and reminded himself that idiocy was not an acceptable justification for homicide. "under the king's law you lost the right to claim her the moment you threw her out of your home for refusing to terminate her pregnancy." He replied evenly. "If you truly loved her you would respect her decision."

"What kind of man lets a rapist's child live?" Ric roared. "Let alone raises it where it will be a danger to normal children?"

It took every ounce of Conrad's considerable will power not to punch the bastard. As it was he couldn't help glancing over at Ysolde who was happily playing with her brothers and Sage's two boys who where not quite her age. Then he shifted his gaze to his own husband, Yozak, who was raising Ysolde like his own, before turning his attention back to Ric.

"A better man then you." He snapped, before turning on his heel and stocking off. He needed some space – or he was going to save them all the trouble of dealing with Ric.

"Mommy?" his daughter's soft voice was preceded by her small hand slipping into his larger one. " you okay?"

He smiled down at her before scooping her up and swinging her around. She squealed in delight running off to play as soon as he set her back down onto her feet, still giggling.

FTD3FTD3

Yozak shifted slightly and Conrart settled in his arms, slipping back down into the realm of sleep, he could feel the soft, gentle flow of energy from his hand to Conrart's still flat stomach. It confirmed his suspicion – baby number 4 was on the way. He caressed Conrart's stomach gently. "Hello, little one," he whispered. "I can't wait to meet you."

He kissed the top of his mate's head, and settled the man down against their bedding, before slipping out of bed and heading down stairs. They were currently staying in the loft of Sage's farm. They'd be heading out again in the morning. Technically they could have ridden on to an inn but Conrad had been feeling light headed, and Sage had insisted they stay the night.

It didn't take him very long to find Sage; he had been a spy after all. The man was standing in the shadow of the barn gazing up at the stars. Ric had been ranting about how Leena's child was going to be born evil. Sage had called him a moron at the time, but Yozak had a fairly good idea of what the man was going through. Sage and Leena had never been lovers, but they had been friends since early childhood. He and Conrart had been lovers for a long time before Aisen had ever attacked Conrad and sired their daughter, but the situation was close enough for him to be able to sympathize.

"We're not that different, you and I." Yozak said gently.

Sage turned and looked at him. "How so?" he asked.

Yozak sighed. "You are worried for your friend, concerned for her health and well being. Fighting the urge to hunt down and kill the man who hurt her in the first place. Furious with her husband for making it worse than it had to be. You feel that you have to be strong for Leena, but at the same time you want to break down and cry from the emotions churning violently inside of you. "

Sage blinked, "How do you know?"

Yozak offered him a small smile. "One of my children was conceived from rape." He replied softly.

"How do you do it?" Sage asked after a few seconds of silence had stretched between them.

"Do what?" Yozak enquired softly.

Sage sighed, "Raise another man's child?" he paused, and Yozak waited for him to be able to put his thoughts into words.

"What if I do something stupid? Great One, this is another little life I am responsible for. I'm so afraid I'll get mad at that child one day and say something stupid. It's not my child, but it is my child."

Yozak sighed, "Do you care about the child?" he asked after a second.

"Of course, I do." Sage replied a little sharply.

Yozak grinned at him, "then trust me you'll do fine." That said he turned and made his way back inside, he had a family to watch over.

He slipped back into his makeshift bed and carefully drew Conrart into his arms, making absolutely sure to rest his hand against his mate's still flat stomach. For now he would humor Conrart's need to keep baby number four a secret. He'd tell him he was pregnant again once he was ready.

FTD3FTD3

Aisen sighed, he couldn't be happier to be out of that leaky tub masquerading as a boat. Alison's two squealing girls ran in circles on the dock, like a pair of decapitated chickens. Reaching out he snagged the back of their sweaters and dragged them back to his side.

He leaned over and growled into their ears. "If you don't cut that out right now, you will not be capable of sitting for at least the next week."

Both girls went still and nodded.

"Now we are going to go meet your grandma, and I want you both to behave." He said loudly enough so that everyone could hear.

FTD3FTD3

Bella sighed, she couldn't help worrying about her only son (she didn't include Aster who had turned against his family 18 years ago). Oh, her poor, poor baby boy. That Bastard had used him and then accused him of rape. He'd been banished from his home, but she knew he would be coming home soon. He'd come home as soon as he was able to – he always did.

She looked up at the nock on her door and headed down stairs.

She opened the door and froze. Standing on her door step was Aisen, with a woman beside him and two young girls at his feet. For a moment she was to stunned to speak.

"Aisen!" She squealed and launched herself into her son's arms.

He caught her deftly, "Hello mother, it's good to see you." He said as he set her down. "This is my wife, Alyson and our two daughters, Vianna, and Nicole.

FTD3FTD3

Bella was busily cooking a large dinner of venison, potatoes and vegetables. Tonight the whole family would eat as if they were noble born rather than the poor merchant family they were. Well what was left of her family at any rate – she'd been forced to disown two of her children after that bastard had turned them against the family.

Her husband had not been happy about that but it didn't matter, she would accept her wayward children home once they admitted their folly and apologized.

She couldn't wait for the rest of the family to meet Aisen's wife and Children – at least her son could now put his entire unfortunate ordeal behind him.

FTD3FTD3

Aisen sighed, and gazed up at the stars from the small balcony of his mother's flower shop.

"I'm so happy you're home, where you can finally put the entire ordeal behind you." His mother said warmly. " I like your wife, she's a much better person then that man ever was. She's been good for you."

"Mother, I -" Aisen paused briefly. "well the thing is I can't put it behind me just yet."

"Why ever not?" Bella asked sharply.

He smiled charmingly at her. "I owe it to my son to see to it that his mother isn't too much of a bad influence on him. After all I cant have him growing up to think he can behave the way his mother did. I have to save him from that."

Bella sighed "You are right of course, but how do you plan to do that without getting into trouble with the man's family again?"

"I'm not sure," Aisen replied sadly. "I hope that appealing to Conrad's better nature (not that he has much of one) will be enough to get the man to allow me access to my son. After all he didn't want the child because it 'didn't fit into his plans'. Maybe he'll be so happy to have someone to pawn the child off on that he'll let me spend time with him?" he said the last with a disbelievingly hopeful air.

"Great One willing, We should be so lucky!"

FTD3FTD3

Conrart rode quietly past the gates to the capital city. It was good to be home. Yozak had taken point for this last leg of the journey, and he was bringing up the rear with ther three children riding between them. Ysolde rode sedately just behind her father, she was much subdued after the loss of her riding privilages and having only just earned them back the week before was in no hurry to lose them again. Particularly not when she was now very well aware of the fact that her brothers could and would tease her mercilessly if she so disgraced herself again.

Although they would stanchly defend her from anyone else who dared to say a word against her.

That Conrart knew was what siblings were all about. They were your biggest tormentors, but also your fiercest protectors. It made him happy to see the bond steadily growing between his children.

Ian rode at Ysolde's side sharing a bag of toasted sugar nuts between the two of them. Danny he noticed was falling asleep in Blaze's saddle. he was about to intervine when the boy dropped back and gazed up at him out of Yozak's ice blue eyes. "Sleepy," he whispered and then letting go of the reins held his arms up and added "Up" in a clear demand to be picked up. Laughing he gathered Blaze's reins and tied them to his own saddle horn, before gently lifting the child into his arms.

Danny cuddled up against his chest and soon fell asleep muttering.

"Good night, baby boy." He whispered into the messy orangey-red hair.

"Night mama, " was the sleepily whispered reply.

FTD3FTD3

Aisen was enjoying his time in the city, covertly trying to obtain information on what his old lover had done with their child, while at the same time familiarizing himself with the few changes that had occurred in his absence. He was rather annoyed; so far he'd found nothing out about Conrart or his child. He didn't want to risk being obvious, but apparently he was going to have to.

It was horrible, if he was to bold the whore would find out he was back in the capital city – and that would make separating him from his children rather difficult. He had a plan but in order for it to work he was going to have to be careful.

He turned a corner and rather abruptly came face to face with proof that the Great One agreed with his decision. Their riding up the road was the pervert Gurrier, and riding on two ponies behind him was

His children

Twins

Conrart had given birth to twins.

But they'd told him he'd miscarried one.

Had the man faked that, just as he'd faked his tears at the trial? As he'd faked his love that night they'd spent together so many years ago?

No he decided.

Conrart's elder brother – at least wouldn't lie about that.

He must have simply left more seed planted in the whore's body them he'd thought.

Triplets, he'd sired triplets

And the whore had lost one.

Twins, a boy and a girl, the girl he knew was useless but oh he had a son. He would make sure his son learned what it was to be a man – just as he would make absolutely certain that no man could ever accuse him of not teaching his daughter how a woman should behave. He would see to it that she learned her place.


	6. Chapter 6

Yozak smiled as he gazed down at his mate, while the man slept soundly in their bed. Conrart was exhausted by the day's activities. As far as Yozak was concerned, the fact that little Danny had run Conrart into the ground in less than five hours, was only proof of the pregnancy. Yozak sighed; he wondered why Conrart was still keeping his pregnancy secret. However at the same time he knew. Conrart had been pregnant 4 times, but they had only 3 children, they'd both been heartbroken when Conrart had miscarried for the second time. When he was carrying Dan Hiri, he had not said a word until after the first 6 months, one third of the way through a demonic pregnancy. The man was currently about 4 .5 months pregnant, the demonic equivalent of about two months – if Yozak's guess was right.

Still he was worried, he didn't think Conrart had even been to see Gisela yet.

Yozak shifted his position slightly as he lowered himself down onto his side, carefully he gathered the smaller man into his arms, and placed his open hand over his still slim stomach. He smiled at the feeling of his energy slowly but surely trickling out of him, flowing into Conrart's body, and from him into their unborn child.

Still sleeping, Conrart moaned, and shifted in his sleep, snuggling up against his chest.

If Conrart hadn't at least been to see Gisela by the end of the week the man was going to find himself summarily dragged down to see her.

FTD3FTD3FTD3FTD3

Conrart fidgeted slightly. He was currently standing outside of Gisela's office trying to work up the courage to go inside and face the healer's wrath. Truthfully he knew he couldn't and shouldn't put this off any longer. He knew he was pregnant and he was being careful – but he was terrified of finding out there was something seriously wrong with his child.

Shortly after Ian's birth, he'd gotten pregnant again despite all the precautions both he and Yozak had taken to ensure different. They'd done everything right, they'd discovered the pregnancy early and he'd had regular appointments with Gisela. However tragedy had still struck between the 4th and 5th month of his pregnancy. Gisela had warned him that there was something seriously wrong with his unborn child, and had told him to prepare himself for the inevitable loss.

He hadn't wanted to believe her, and had even gone so far as to see a different healer – it hadn't mattered, less than a month later Yozak had held him securely in his arms while he'd miscarried. The pain in Yozak's eyes when the man mourned the loss of their unborn child had been a blow to Conrart.

He never wanted to see that pain again.

As such he hadn't told Yozak about Danny until the chances of his loosing the child where far slimmer. He'd been determined to shoulder the pain of another miscarriage on his own, rather than see that pain in Yozak's eyes again. However he suspected that Yozak had known long before he'd even told him, just as he suspected that his husband knew he was currently pregnant. The fact that he'd awoken every morning since shortly after he'd first began to suspect with Yozak's hand resting lightly on his stomach – only supported his suspicions.

He feared being told there was something wrong with his child, but at the same time he couldn't simply avoid seeing a healer for prenatal care. He had no illusions – the likelihood of Yozak allowing him to go even another week without seeing Gisela, were slim to none.

Taking a deep breath, and squaring his shoulders Conrart knocked lightly on Gisela's door and slipped inside after she bid him to enter her office.

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Aisen crouched low on the roof of a building that overlooked a small park in the high district of Shin Makoku's capital city. Below him, the pervert Gurrier was standing watch over his children, as such he lost an opportune moment to rescue them from the amoral influences of their whore of a mother.

He could hardly go and get them now; Gurrier - for all he was a perverted fool - was armed. He couldn't help the annoyance that rose in his breast at the mere sight of the scruffy little urchin running around the man's ankles and contaminating his twins.

_Twins_

_He had twins_

_Yet he didn't even know his son's name._

_And the girl –_

_From what he could tell he was going to have his hands full taming her and turning her into a proper young lady. If the lass's current attempt at mock swordsmanship was any indication, the whore had never even bothered to teach her her place. In fact from her deftness he could only assume that the whore had encouraged her fantasies._

_He didn't know the girl's name either, but that was less important than knowing his son's name. If the boy's name was unsuitable it would have to be changed. As for the girl child, as long as her name wasn't too terrible she could keep it._

The little urchin was so obviously Gurrier's that he couldn't help wondering what poor wench the man had knocked up. He sank lower on the rooftop as the whore came into view. Conrart smiled and ran his hand lightly up the pervert's arm. Much to Aisen's disgust, the pervert's spawn ran up to Conrad, and threw his arms up into the air, shouting "Up mama, Up," at the top of his lungs.

The whore bent down and scooped the small child up into his arms and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before setting him down again and shooing him off to play with Aisen's kids. Aisen snarled, disgusted by the idea of the urchin contaminating _His son, _and the boy's sister. _Aaron, _he decided as he watched the boy 'spar' with his sister, he'd name his son Aaron. After a few minutes his children stopped playing and ran up to the whore, the man said something in reply and dismissed them with a wave of his hand – the children ran off again, this time drifting a little further away from the watching adults than was strictly safe.

He smiled to himself seeing an opportunity.

Still he couldn't risk being seen, not with the whore and the pervert so close at hand. Smiling, Aisen climbed down from his rooftop perch and looked around for someone to do his dirty work. It didn't take him long to find a likely scapegoat. The man he found was young, about 16 physically, easily persuaded around to Aisen's way of thinking.

It only took a few minutes of idle conversation to get the boy on friendly terms. Then he smiled charmingly before asking. "Can you do me a favor?"

The young man nodded, "if it's within my power." He replied calmly.

Aisen smiled, "do you see those two children, the twin's, playing over there by that grove of lemon trees?"

The teen followed his line of sight and smiled, "Aye I see them, and they're quite cute, what about them?"

"They're mine, the lass got into trouble a few weeks ago. Almost got carried off by some pervert, because she didn't listen to me and their ma when we told them not ta take things from strangers. This is the first time she's been allowed out of the house since, an there they go wandering away again." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of salt taffy he'd bought for Alyson and the girls earlier and took out a few pieces. "I was wondering if you'd go offer them some candy to come with ya over here, I want to make sure they've learned their lesson."

The young man took the candy and walked off, fading into the trees a few minutes later. As he watched the man made his way over to the twins and simply appeared out of the brush to the astonished laughter of his children. However when the man offered them the candy the two yelled and turning – ran back to their mother.

Aisen sighed and beat a hasty retreat; it wouldn't do to be connected to the incident thus alerting that man to his presence, his plan hadn't worked.

Honestly he wasn't sure whether he should be proud or annoyed.

He made it back up to his perch on the roof just in time to see the whore scoop up his new lover's child and hurry the twins along in front of him as they left the park.

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Alyson sat quietly listening to her husband rant. She had to admit that the more she heard about Aisen's former lover the less she liked him. It was bad enough that the man had cried rape as soon as word of his pregnancy had gotten out (the lying coward). Now the bastard was refusing to give Aisen his children despite already admitting to Aisen that he hated those children and thought them to be little more than a burden.

In front of said children no less!

The only thing the ass hadn't said in front of the poor dears was that he didn't want them. He'd waited to say that until the children had left the room – in tears – but the man's new lover had apparently refused to give the twins up. At first when Aisen had informed her of this she'd been glad that the twins had at least one attentive parent. However her husband had gone on to explain that the man didn't even like the children. Apparently the man simply "would rather see the little bastards dead in the gutter than give them to their father."

She'd been appalled, how could the man be so cruel as to deny those children a chance at a happy life out of spite?

It was disgusting

That man and his…lover were disgusting!

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Aisen groaned, and rubbed at his eyebrows he'd been trying to retrieve his stolen children for the better part of a month. Although he was sure to keep his attempts few and far between, so that he didn't alert the whore he'd somewhat unfortunately sired them on. He'd already told his wife that he'd apparently had twins and told her about how badly the two were neglected. He was only glad the whore didn't beat them, however as he'd told his wife he couldn't be sure, the bruises could very well be hidden under their clothing. She'd been happy for him, as far as the twins went, but deeply concerned about the health and safety of his children.

For now she simply thought he was in the process of negotiating with the whore and his' family for the right to at least see his children.

When the time came he'd tell her that the damned worthless whore had simply handed them over to him (despite the protests of his pervert of a lover) because he didn't want them –

That he considered them to be worthless or something along that line so that she would be too concerned for the children to think about how strange it was that he was suddenly in possession of them.

So far nothing he had tried to retrieve them had worked.

And he'd tried a lot of things.

First he'd tried using the young man with the candy to lure his twins away. Later, he'd hired a man to try the old 'please help me find my lost puppy trick'. The only response the man had gotten was to have the boy inform him, "He should ask an adult for help."

Everything else he'd tried had ended equally infuriatingly.

How in the hell was he supposed to get his children away from that whore if they had a 'mama says' for everything he could come up with?

Just how bloody paranoid was that worthless half-breed whore anyway?

He stood silently on a rooftop looking out at his brother's tavern in disgust. He didn't dare go in. His brother was nothing if not loyal, once a person had been admitted into his circle. He remembered his so called brother's words when he'd visited him in his cell before his trial. "You are not my brother, you are not an uncle to my children, and if I ever see you again I will treat you like a dangerous stranger. Are we clear?" The fact that Aster had taken the whore's side over his had been a painful blow. But then Aster never had had the balls to handle the hard stuff.

If Aster saw him he'd just tell the whore he was here.

Crossing his arms and trying not to dwell on the betrayal of his own twin, Aisen began to pace. He'd come to this rooftop often enough to think over the years between when his brother had married Helen and when he'd been banished that he knew every nook and cranny of the old building's roof. He paused abruptly. Down below him oblivious to his presence – the whore was leading his children and the pervert's son up to Aster's tavern, the pervert Gurrier walking just behind them. He was probably going to have dinner in one of the private rooms or something. Much as Aisen hated to admit it Helen was a good cook and her food and thus the Arms' menu was famous throughout the capital city.

His wife could never compare.

He snarled at the sight of his good for nothing brother, greeting his twins warmly. But then his snarl morphed into a sly smile as he realized just what that meant for him.

He now knew how to get at his children without running into 'mama says not to talk to strangers'.

Sometimes it was good to have a twin.

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Conrad smiled as he watched his children playing with their cousins. His hand came up to rest on his stomach. So far his pregnancy was going well, but Gisela didn't want him getting stressed since this pregnancy way taking a heavy toll on his body. Not as heavy a toll as his first pregnancy and Gisela –thankfully – did not think there was anything wrong with this pregnancy. It was simply harder to carry twins then to carry a single child.

He still hadn't informed Yozak of his pregnancy – though he had informed his mate that he'd been to see the healer. Conrad knew his husband well enough to know that Yozak would cosset him in cotton batting, silk brocade and have him fed on … well he wasn't exactly sure … but he knew it would be overly nutritious and likely mashed.

He couldn't imagine his fate the second Yozak found out he was carrying twins. Yozak tended to overreact to his pregnancies. Although he supposed the man had that right, his first pregnancy had almost cost him his life. Yozak had never really forgotten that. The only thing Conrad could think of to handle this situation was to tell his mate he was pregnant, but he was not going to tell him he was carrying twins.

FTD3FTD3FTD3

R&R


	7. Chapter 7

Conrart lounged on the picnic blanket he'd set out in the park an hour ago, watching his three children play. He shifted his position slightly feeling the bark of the tree he was resting against scrape across his back. He was so tired, he just wanted to sleep, but he couldn't, not until Yozak got there. Less than an hour later Yozak showed up with the most alluring thing he'd seen in years… food. His mate stepped neatly to the side sabotaging his somewhat undignified attempt to steal something out of the basket dangling from the other man's arm.

"Children, it's time to eat." Yozak called, while deftly handing him a small wrapped package.

With a small smile he opened it and found –

Honey bread

His absolute favorite

And the maids rarely made it!

He tore off a small chunk of the soft, sweet bread, and quickly realized: the maids hadn't made the loaf this particular slice had come from. It was a lot sweeter than what the maids normally made. For once he wouldn't need to add more honey to the bread to satisfy his sweet tooth. He recognized the recipe.

He should considering the fact that it was his paternal great grandmother's. His father had taught it to him years ago when he was just a small boy – it used a 2 full cups of honey rather than three fourths. The only other person to know the recipe was Yozak.

When he was pregnant with Ysolde, he honestly hadn't thought he was going to survive carrying her to term. He'd taught Yozak the recipe – despite the man's protests – so that Yozak could hand the recipe down to his daughter.

With a small smile he started to wrap up the slice of bread in its waxed paper, only to have Yozak stop him.

"That's yours," the larger man told him firmly. "The rest of the loaf is in the basket and we'll be having it for desert. Now finish your slice while I take the kids to the fountain to wash up." He said the last as he set the basket down and, their children came running up to greet him. With a small smile he swung Danny up onto his shoulders and took Ysolde and Ian by the hands and led them off to wash up.

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Conrart smiled as he watched his children getting ready, they were going into town today. His mother and Raven were watching the little ones this evening as he'd planned a special dinner for Yozak that night. He was even cooking, something he rarely did but Yozak seemed to enjoy and appreciate. Tonight he was going to tell Yozak he was pregnant again. Honestly he wasn't sure if he should tell his beloved mate he was carrying twins just yet. On the one hand he didn't want to give up what little freedom he was going to have for the next year. On the other, he was a little under six months pregnant and he was already beginning to tire easily. If this was any indication of what this pregnancy was going to be like … well he might have to quietly accept Yozak's somewhat overbearing care.

Yozak loved him and their children and wanted what was best for them, he understood that. However he was a proud and fiercely independent person and the thought of losing his independence irked him to no end. Still he loved his mate and his children and would do anything he could to keep them safe and happy. Conrart smiled at his mate as the other man sauntered into the room. Yozak offered him his patented wicked smile and pulled him firmly into his strong arms, kissing his neck as he did so. Conrart couldn't help noting that despite the casualness of the embrace, Yozak's hand was resting on his stomach. It made him even more aware of the fact that his pants were not fitting properly.

"I haven't seen you wear these in a while," Yozak commented absently. "Are you sure you're feeling well love?"

Conrart turned in his embrace and kissed him, "I'm fine, I just wanted to be comfortable today. Is there anything you wanted from town?"

"Actually I got a message from the owner of that one store we used to go to a lot before we had children, my last order is finished; could you pick it up?" Yozak asked sheepishly.

Conrart gapped at his husband, "you expect me to take our children into _that _store?" he demanded incredulously.

Yozak chuckled and leaned in to kiss him gently on the lips, "try not to think so little of me my love. There is a toy store on the other side of the promenade, give the kids a gold piece each and let them pick out their own toys while you pick up ours. It won't take more than five minutes."

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Conrart sighed, he couldn't believe he was going to do this, but he'd promised Yozak he'd pick up the damned package for him and he couldn't bring the children in with him. He had to admit he was a little curious about what Yozak had ordered, the other man hadn't told him yet.

He looked down at his children and reminded himself that Ysolde at least was, physically, nearly eight, at that age his father had been allowing him to do far more dangerous things then go into a toy store by himself. "Now remember what I told you, nothing over one gold crown each, don't talk to strangers, stay together, just pick your toy take it to the counter and give your money to the lady. Okay?"

His three precious children looked up at him out of bright eyes, and offered him equally bright smiles, though Ysolde and Ian seemed mildly annoyed. "We'll be fine mama," Ysolde said softly, "Papa sometimes sits out here on the edge of the fountain and gives Ian and me five minutes shop alone before he comes in with Danny."

Conrart stiffened; he knew his children had been safe in the high district with their father just a shout away, but still, he was going to skin his mate when they got home. "Still humor me and stay together -"

"Don't worry mama, we'll stay together." Ian said softly.

Danny smiled up at him, his blue eyes shining brightly. "Mama, I watch th'm."

Conrart desperately refrained from laughing at his youngest son's earnest determination to keep an eye on his siblings. As it was poor Danny was glaring at his snickering siblings. He offered his children a smile and replied in a firm but still gentle tone, "Then I know all three of you will be fine, away with you before I change my mind."

His children turned and bolted into the toy store, squealing in delight. He watched them go, his right hand resting softly on the hilt of his sword, and silently promised death to anyone who should dare even look at his children the wrong way before turning and making his way across the promenade to the store he and Yozak had frequented when they were younger.

The owner greeted him warmly and pulled a package out from under the counter; Conrart glanced into the box and flushed at the item Yozak had ordered crafted. He noted absently that his mate had several jars of lube added to the order. At least the man had the decency to spear him the humiliation of having to do it. Quickly he verified that Yozak had paid for the order in full before having the damned thing wrapped so there was no chance of his children seeing it, slipping it into the basket of things already on his arm, and heading out to meet his children.

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Aisen smiled as he watched his twins taking the little urchin into a toy store; soon he would free them from their horrible loveless life. Briefly he'd considered taking the urchin as well simply to punish the whore, but no that was a bad idea. The whore and the pervert would never notice the loss of his twins and even if they did they would never bother coming after them, children belonged to their father in Shin Makoku, so Conrart didn't even have a legal right to keep his children from him. He watched as the worthless whoring half-breed turned and walked away, disappearing into a store on the other side of the promenade.

Now was his chance.

He was taking his twins home tonight.

He slipped into the toy store after them and looked around; the three children were standing together looking at a few of the more expensive toys. He waited as long as he felt it safe and then moved closer to the children. He did his best to appear non-threatening but harried and distinctly worried.

He paused briefly when it occurred to him that the fact that he didn't know the twin's names could be problematic. He was frantically trying to come up with a way around his predicament when a small voice squealed "Unki Aster!"

He stiffened briefly, half expecting his twin to walk up and ruin everything, and then he realized the great one approved of his plan. The children thought he was his twin, with any luck he wouldn't even have to use their names.

"Children," he said happily, "I'm so glad I found you." He reached down and put his hands on the little urchin's shoulders. He longed to snap the slender neck, but refrained himself, that would scare his twins. "You need to stay here and wait for your father." He said as gently as possible. Then turned his attention to the twins; "as for you two I need you to come with me so I can take you to your mother."

His daughter blinked up at him and turned briefly to her twin, the two talked to each other in hushed tones, the orange haired urchin tugged his sister's sleeve sharply. "Mommy told us 'stay together' 'member?"

He crouched in front of his son, "I am here to take you to your mother on your father's wish." He said gently. "Would you disrespect him by ignoring his order?" he turned his attentions to the pervert's son. "You cannot see your mother just yet little one, you are too young."

That said he offered his hand to his daughter, gently scooped up his son and calmly walked out of the toy store with them.

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Conrart paused at the sight of his youngest son sitting alone on the ornamental planter in the middle of the promenade. He glanced around expecting his other two children to be in the immediate vicinity. However he didn't see Ian or Ysolde anywhere. He hurried over to his son, not sure whether to praise the child for being where he'd told him to be when he'd told him to be there or scold him for wondering away from his elder siblings.

He opened his mouth to ask little Danny where his siblings were, when his son beat him to it. He staggered as the little boy attached himself to his leg.

"Mommy he said, papa told him to get Ian an' 'Sodi and take them to you!" Danny cried into his leg. "He said wait here for papa."

Conrart carefully lifted the boy into his arms, "who told you to wait for your father?" he asked gently.

"Unki Aster," came the immediate reply.

"Did they go with uncle Aster?" he asked softly, trying vainly not to panic.

To his absolute horror his young son nodded. "Alright," he said softly, "let's go see your uncle." He was terrified and praying that Aster was just playing a horrible trick on him.

FTD3FTD3FTD3

It didn't take long for him to reach The Arms, the little Tavern that doubled as a small inn, where the high district met the middle district that was owned by his old friend Aster. The man was an honorary uncle for two of his three children. As for Ysolde, well Aster really was her uncle. Years ago Aster had arranged for his twin brother Aisen to be placed in Conrart's unit in the hopes of helping his brother to thrive. The unfortunate result was that Aisen had fallen in love with him and his love had eventually turned to obsession. There had been times over the many years when he found it difficult to look at his old friend because of the things his twin had done to him. However Aster was a good friend who had stood by him, so he knew it was very unlikely that the man was playing such a horrible prank on him.

But the idea was far better than the alternative.

"Conrart, Danny" Aster called as he made his way around the bar, "I wasn't expecting to see the two of you, would you like some lunch?"

Conrart opened his mouth to reply but Danny beat him to it. "I see you just a minute ago, when you change?"

Aster turned his attention sharply to Conrart. "I've been here all day what is he talking about?"

Conrart felt panic rising in his chest but he forced himself to remain as calm as possible, panicking would not help his children. "Danny tell your uncle what you told me please." After the small child had finished relaying the message Conrart looked at his friend. "Please," he said softly noting the look of dawning horror on his friend's face "tell me you are playing a tactless trick on me."

"I wish I could, Conrart I wish I could." Aster replied and reaching out tried to steer him in the direction of a chair. "I'll send word up to the palace, to Yozak; we'll find them I promise."

Conrart shook his head, panic fully gripping him as he tried to force himself to think logically "No," he said after a second, idly noting the basket n the floor and wondering just when he'd dropped it. "It'll be faster if I go home myself, we can get people searching faster if we don't have to meet here first. Can I borrow one of your horses?"

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Conrart flung himself at the stall of the horse Aster had allowed him to borrow. The horse was not anywhere near what he would have ridden, but that didn't matter now. What mattered was getting home so he could alert the palace guard to the crisis at hand.

"I'll get his saddle," Aster said briskly and turned to disappear into the tack room. However the horse's bridle was handing on a peg just inside of his stall. He was pregnant and he really should not have been riding a horse bareback at breakneck speeds but he had to save his children and that meant getting Danny home so that he and Yozak could mount a search.

"Don't bother," he called ducking under the bar that kept the horse inside of its stall he grabbed the bridle and deftly put it on the startled animal. He lifted the bar and led the horse out of the stall before all but throwing himself onto its broad back. He took the reins in one hand and clung to the horse with his legs.

Reaching out he accepted his son form his uncle's arms and carefully situated the child in front of him wrapping one arm around his slim waist. "Hold on to me tightly." He told his son before driving his heels into the animal's flanks …hard. The horse trumpeted in protest and shot out of the stable at a gallop. He crouched low on the horse's back creating as little wind resistance as possible. He'd feel horrible latter but at the moment all he could think of was his missing children, so he flicked his wrist quickly slapping the horse's flanks with the leather of its reins. The horse put on a burst of speed with each strike of its reins against its flanks.

Despite the short distance the old animal was lathered by the time they crossed the drawbridge amidst the thundering of hooves. Conrart made a mental note to ensure the animal was well looked after it deserved it after this. He reined the animal in sharply as stable hands came running to take the beast looks of shock on their faces, not a one of them had ever seen him use a horse so poorly. He was conscious of the fact that his father would likely have skinned him for his treatment of the animal but that didn't matter now.

"Yozak!" he screamed franticly as he dismounted. "He has them, Aisen; he's taken Ian and Ysolde!"

FTD3FTD3FTD3

Yozak swung up onto his war horse and turned his head to watch Gisela lead his terrified husband inside. It hadn't taken long to round up the men and saddle just about every horse in the stable, rider's from Wolfram's men had been sent out on fleet footed mounts to close every one of the city gates, no one was getting in our out of the city until his children where safely home. He glanced over as Gwendal led his men up on his right, Wolfram following with his own men, and noted with silent gratitude that Yurri and Raven were also with them. To his left Günter rode, his eyes hard, furry in every line of his body. The big stallion he rode chomped at its bit and stomped one hoof.

Yurri reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder when the younger man drew abreast of him. "Will find them Yozak, have no fear of that." The Maou paused for a moment before adding. "In accordance with the law, Aisen is yours once we find him; do whatever you feel is necessary to protect your family."

Yozak blinked, he'd half expected Yuri to deny him that right.

"Conrart is terrified," Wolfram observed mildly then added "According to Gisela we had better find the little ones and fast or Conrart might lose the one he's carrying from the stress."

Yozak swallowed at the reminder, Conrart had been hell bent on coming with them to find their missing children and only the violent cramping of his belly from the stress and a direct order to go lie down unless he wanted to miscarry had convinced the man otherwise. Lady Cecilia was with him now and Gwendal's wife was seeing to the children of the family with the aid of the maids. All except for little Danny that is, as Conrart was refusing to let their youngest out of his sight. Actually he wasn't allowing the child out of his arms. It would have been funny if the situation hadn't been so dire.

Yozak gave his king a small nod, determined to bring his children home at all costs and eliminate what was likely the biggest threat his family had ever known if it was the last thing he ever did. Determined to bring them home safely he led Conrart's men out of the palace the rest of the family followed by their own private armies followed in his wake.

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Alyson looked up as her husband led two young children through the door. She guessed them to be Aisen's twin-born children though they looked very little like their father. Their looks must have favored their mother she realized with a pong of regret. The poor things would likely be reminded of the horrible mother who had abandoned them, every time they looked in the mirror.

She'd just have to show them extra love and care to make up for their real mother. The children she noticed looked confused.

"Where is mama?" the girl child asked.

Aisen turned both children to face her and her girls. "Alyson is your mother now." He said firmly.

"I want my Mommy!" both children shouted at the top of their lungs.

Alyson was horrified, as she listened to her husband trying to gently break the news that their mother no longer wanted them. Hadn't the worthless man even had the courage to tell his children he was giving them up himself? What a horrible man! Predictably the children didn't want to believe their father.

"That's enough," Aisen said firmly, "I'm your father and I know what's best for you now go wash up. It's time for dinner. It's the first one you'll be having with your true family, and I want you both to make a good impression. Is that clear Aaron, Erin?" he made a gentle shooing motion with his hands shooing them off in the direction of the kitchen.

_Aaron and Erin, Hadn't their mother even bothered to think up proper individual names for them? Honestly who gave two children exactly the same names?_

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind then the girl child made her opinion of being called Erin known.

"My name is Ysolde!" she said firmly "Y-s-o-l-d-e, Ysolde! Not Erin! Ysolde, after my father's mother!"

He twin just gazed at the ground, "Mama wouldn't give us up." He said softly, "Mama and Papa love us."


	8. Chapter 8

Aisen smiled to himself as he sat down to eat with his wife and their children at the dinner table Aaron he noticed was crying as he ate his meat pie. Erin on the other hand sat with her arms crossed ignoring her food. "Eat your dinner Erin." Aisen said firmly.

To his immense surprise Erin responded by mutinously knocking her plate to the floor. "I want my mother!"

"Honey, I know you're scared and confused, but you have to eat." Alyson said gently. "I'll fix you another plate."

"No," Aisen interrupted firmly. "She must learn her place Alyson, or we will never be able to find her a husband." He turned his attention to the worthless daughter the whore had given him. "If you're going to act like an animal then you can eat off the floor like an animal, if you're going to eat at all tonight."

Erin turned her nose up at him. "You are not my father!" She said sharply, "And I don't have to listen to you."

Enraged Aisen rose to his feet and grabbed the child by her arm and marched her into the other room. He was going to tan her hide. A few minutes later he marched back out of the bedroom, dragging the sobbing child by her arm and forced her down into her chair. He stooped picked up the meat pie and dropped it unceremoniously in front of her. "Eat or go hungry, I don't particularly care, but until you eat that pie you are not getting anything else." He said firmly. _Hadn't that whore even bothered to discipline his worthless girl child?_

To his utter annoyance the little bitch stuck her tongue out at him, and ignored her food. "My father is going kill you." She said mutinously turning her nose up once again though the effect was ruined by the tears streaming down her face.

He rose to his feet prepared to teach the little hooligan a lesson she would never forget, but Alyson grabbed his arm. "Aisen," she said firmly. "The child has been through a lot; the only family she has ever known has abandoned her and didn't even have the decency to tell her and her brother themselves. It is natural that she doesn't want to believe it. Why don't you go up to bed dear? I'll join you in a few minutes."

Aisen sighed; "Fine" he said firmly and picked up Erin's plate as he walked past. "She doesn't eat tonight; and this pie is all she gets until she eats it." He set the plate into one of the cupboards and walked away.

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Alyson sat up as her husband got out of bed, she ached and she was honestly beginning to wish she'd never met Aisen. If it wasn't for Erin and Aaron she would take her daughters and run but she couldn't leave the two twins alone with Aisen; particularly not with how brave and frankly brazen Little Erin was. Aaron was the shyer or the two- a fact that infuriated Aisen to no end. "Where are you going?" she asked quietly as she watched her husband pull on pants, boots, a shirt, and scarf to cover his hair.

"Just out for some fresh air, finish packing up, we leave first thing in the morning." That said he turned and walked into the other room. Alyson sighed and got out of her makeshift bed, Aisen had thrown out a lot of the things that would be hard to travel with before they'd left human territory, and hadn't truly allowed them to unpack anything since they'd moved into the inn; which made sense since he'd moved them to a new inn every four days. That honestly made no sense.

She made her way out into the other room where the children were sleeping, or supposed to be. The soft sound of Aaron sniffling told her the boy was awake. She knelt beside him, and gently rubbed his back this whole thing had to be hard on him and his sister. Aisen had called her Erin, but the child had said her name was something else entirely, y-sod-y, Isody – something like that. She wondered if Aisen had changed it so that she wouldn't always be reminded of the cruel parents who had abandoned her, if he'd wanted to stress the fact that there was still a tight bond between her and her brother by having them share a name, or if he simply couldn't pronounce her name.

"Don't worry little ones," she whispered. "You'll never be abandoned again, you are safe now."

She rose to her feet and walked away to finish packing, as she did so she heard Aaron's soft voice.

"'Sodie," the boy whispered. "What if mama and papa really don't want us anymore?"

"He's a bad man, Ian." The girl whispered back. "Mama's going to cut him to ribbons."

Alyson sighed. At least the boy was beginning to come to terms with what had happened, but the girl… when she finally saw that she had indeed been abandoned it would break her. They'd just have to be there to help pick up the pieces then.

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Yozak tried to keep from crying as he desperately searched the capital city for his children. Every one of the nation's spies that were currently in the capital was quietly looking for his children. Every soldier was out openly searching.

Yet he worried.

His chest was tight

He was having trouble breathing

If that bastard had hurt either of his children

He didn't know what he would do.

He knew of some cleaning agents that mixed with urine would give the bastard a very painful death one of two ways -either by exploding or by poisoning when he breathed in the noxious fumes.* he'd seen it once when he was younger, before Conrart's father had rescued him. Some idiot boy had decided to get back at the tavern owner in the small village his mother and he had lived in before the soldiers had come to arrest him for his breeding. The idiot had done it by peeing into a bucket of a burning liquid used to clean the floors and wash the bedding and it had somehow emitted a poisonous gas that had killed everyone in the room.

He was seriously considering stealing some of that particular cleaning solution, and putting it in pans below Aisen when he hung the man upside down from the ceilings of his cell, after force-feeding him several gallons of water. Before he left the cell he'd be sure to tell the bastard exactly what would happen if he urinated.

A hand lightly squeezing his shoulder brought him out of his homicidal thoughts. He glanced over at Malcolm.

"We'll find them." The man said softly. "And when we do Aisen is a dead man."

Yozak sighed, two of his children were out there somewhere in the dark night. They were systematically checking every house, shop, inn and Tavern in the city. Still he was terrified that they hadn't acted fast enough. What if Aisen had gotten his children out of the city before they'd managed to close the gates? What if Aisen moved them from inn to inn staying one step ahead of them until they'd searched the entire city? What if he was just laying low until they thought they'd searched the entire city?

He didn't think he would ever forgive himself for convincing Conrart to leave their children unattended. What had he been thinking?

No seriously, _What The Hell Had He Been Thinking?_

If he hadn't wanted to use that stupid feather toy with its damned little tin of chocolate powder tonight, or if he'd just come into town to pick it up himself rather than making Conrart do it when their children were with him – his kids would be safe in bed, and Conrart wouldn't be in danger of losing their fourth child.

He took a deep breath as they came to the door of the next Inn on the street. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to think about the horrible things that man had done to his mate. But the charcoal drawings he'd found in Aisen's journals of his mate beaten bruised covered in blood and … other things, kept flashing through his mind. Much as he didn't want to think about it – the one thought that kept running through his mind since Conrart had told him the bastard had kidnapped their children – was 'what is that sick bastard doing to my babies?'

Ian he prayed was safe, Aisen was convinced he'd sired a _son _on Conrart and people often mistook his children for twins. After Gwendal had removed the bastard's balls – he knew the worthless peace of shit wouldn't kill 'the only son he was ever going to get'. However Aisen had made it very clear both while their daughter was being conceived and after, how little he thought of the idea of Conrart having a daughter. Yozak was terrified the brutal bastard would hurt _his children_, but mostly he worried for Ysoldie.

What was that bastard doing to his babies?

If he'd hurt one hair on either of his children – he'd slaughter the bastard!

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Ysoldie lay still and pretended to be asleep. It wouldn't have fooled either of her parents but maybe it would fool the woman who had the nerve to say she was there new mommy. The woman paused as she walked by, and knelt between her and Ian.

"Don't worry little ones. Tomorrow we're leaving for my father's farm." The woman said gently.

Ysoldie forced herself not to flinch when the woman started to rub her back. She wanted to kick the woman.

"It on in a lovely little eastern corner of the Von Voltaire lands. You're going to love it. There'll be farm dogs, barn cats, there's even a horse you could ride. You'll love growing up with all the farm animals, we'll give all four of you a great life." The woman then proceeded to pull the covers up over her shoulders, before moving on and doing the same with Ian and the other two girls.

Ysoldie looked up when _that ridiculously annoying woman_ left the room. "Ian," she whispered harshly. "Get up we're going home now."

"Do we have a home?" Ian asked sadly. "What if mama and papa really don't love us anymore?"

Ysoldie reached out and bopped her brother on the head. "They're bad." She said firmly. "They lied. Now get up. We're going home."

Ian shifted slightly, "we can't just go out the door, the bad man could come back. What will he do to us if he catches us on the way out?"

Ysoldie slid out of her bedding, "I once overheard Mama saying something to Papa about not 'taking the high roads' in front of Danny and we've both seen papa come in through the window a time or two. I – I think that is what mama meant when he said that."

Slowly, careful not to make a sound she crept across the floor to the window. "We could take the high road," she said softly. "Like mama an' papa."

Ian followed her over to the window and looked out. "I don't know 'Sodie, it's a long way down, and I don't think that ledge is wide enough."

Ysoldie stooped and pulled her knife out of her boot. The bad man who looked like their uncle had searched Ian and found his, but he hadn't searched her. Mama and papa had told her it was a very serious thing to have a knife and to be careful and respect it. She was about to use it to do something she knew her parents would never approve of. "It's this, or try to find our way to von Voltaire Castle from wherever they take us." She said quietly as she began to scrape the wood on window ledge with the tip of her knife.

"Across Von Voltaire lands?" Ian whispered back sharply, "Weller lands maybe; we have a better chance of knowing the way. But von Voltaire?"

Ysoldie glanced down at what she'd carved into the wood at the corner of the window ceil. The words:

Farm  
E. Voltaire  
Y. & I.

Were just visible in the wood.

She paused considering how to make the spot visible to her parents. She had to believe that they were out there somewhere looking for her and Ian. Her papa was the best tracker around, but mama had once told her you couldn't track something that left no signs behind. So she would leave a sign for her papa. After a second she tugged at her shirt. It was simple fabric, nothing fancy but it was died a light red. Her uncle Yuri had picked it up for her on earth. She considered it for a second, but foxes left footprints and hair behind, and she was too scared to know what else to do. So she slid the blade back into her boot and climbed carefully out onto the ledge. Her foot slipped sending a small wave of dirt tumbling over the edge.

She was scared and she wanted to go home.

Carefully she crawled along the edge making her way to the roof. She paused almost past the window when she realized Ian hadn't followed her. "Come on Ian it's easy, Danny could do it."

Ian stood there for a second and then slowly started to camber out the window after her and that was when it all went wrong.

The bad man grabbed him, and hauled him back into the room, with a snarl.

"Ian!" she screamed, before screaming in pain as a hand clamped brutally down on her braided hair and dragged her back. She lost her footing and slipped slamming into the unforgiving wall as a hand gripped her arm with bruising force and dragged her back through the window.

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Yozak was exhausted but he was not about to rest until he found his children. He'd just reached the corner of the next inn he needed to search and was riding a bit ahead of his men. His mind was lost a torrent of emotions and mental images of the short time he'd had with his two precious babies, when a small land slide of debris sliding down from the roof brought him out of his thoughts. A shrill cry of alarm followed. And he reigned in his stallion and looked up into the darkness trying to figure out what was going on above him.

"Ian!" Ysoldie's voice rang out in the darkness above him followed by a high-pitched shriek a loud thud and a rain of more debris.

"Let go of me!" the voice above his head cried out again.

That was all Yozak needed to hear, he drove his heels into his horse's flanks sendng him careening forward. He threw himself from the horse's back not even waiting for the animal to stop. He hit the Inn's door with enough force that it slammed open. Ignoring the protests of the innkeeper he pelted up the stairs drawing steel as he went.

He had to save his kids.

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Ysoldie gasped for breath, and tried vainly to stifle a sob as the bad man sent her to the floor with a hard strike of his hand. His hand still clamped around her arm so that she dangled like a doll.

"Aisen stop it!" the man's wife screamed. "She's just a little girl and she's scared!"

"The worthless little bitch could have gotten Aaron killed!" the bad man ranted landing a few more blows.

"No, don't hurt her!" Ian's voice was shrill as he clawed vainly at the bad man's hand where it held her arm.

"She's learned her lesson, she's scared and she wants her mommy." The man's wife said in an almost pleading tone. "Aisen let her go. She won't try something that stupid again." Behind her the other two children were crying in fear.

All at once the door exploded inward!

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Certain household chemicals can literally explode or kill you from the fumes if ammonia is mixed in. depending on the ratios it will either explode or create gas, Yozak knows that but doesn't really understand the principle (ww2 chemical war far)


	9. Chapter 9

Alyson spun around when the door burst open and shrieked at the sight of the red headed, armed, lunatic, who had just broken into their room. The man looked mad enough to kill, and there was something truly odd about his ice blue eyes. She didn't stop to think she put herself firmly between the mad man and the four screaming children in the room. She noticed idly that at least the intrusion had made her worthless husband drop his poor bruised daughter.

"Gurrier!" Aisen snarled as he turned to face the threat to their family.

The man didn't answer him, but his eyes rested briefly on the children, lingering the longest on Aisen's twins. "I'm going to make you pay for this." The man replied the threat made all the more terrifying by the fact that he didn't raise his voice.

Her own daughters shrank closer to her clearly terrified, but Aisen's two children bolted for the door. At least she thought that was what they were bolting for. she attempted to catch them before the two got themselves killed but stopped when she realized just what the two had shrieked.

The two gave Aisen a wide birth as they ran up to the mad man – no Gurrier – shrieking "Daddy" at the top of their lungs. Alyson held her breath as the two reached the man, not sure how he would react. She shouldn't have worried; the man reached out with his free hand and gently stroked Aaron's hair. "Are you alright Ian?" he asked gently.

The boy nodded franticly, "but he hurt 'sodie," he sobbed.

"Shh," His father whispered before turning his attention to his daughter. "You'll be okay now", the man said softly, as he gently used his now free hand to inspect the bruises rapidly forming on Erin's Face. "Daddy's here." That said he gently shoved both children behind him. He glanced up and Alyson saw his eyes go from soft and gentle, to hard and furious.

He'd been furious before, but now there was murder in his eyes.

"Daddy?" Aar – no Ian, the boy's name was Ian, asked softly from behind his father's leg. "He said you and mama, didn't love us anymore. He said mama didn't want us. You still love us right? Mama, still wants us?"

Alyson felt her heart break at the soft question.

"He lied," Gurrier replied firmly. "Your mother loves you both, he's hysterical. We both love you, and we always will."

Alyson rounded on her husband, completely aghast and utterly appalled by what she could now very clearly see. "You kidnapped them!" she demanded. "Their mother didn't want them? That's such a horrible lie to tell those poor children! Are they even yours? Or did you just destroy an innocent family by stealing their children?"

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Yozak longed to scoop up his children, to cradle them in his arms just so he could assure himself that they were really safe. He longed to reassure them to give them the comfort and safety of their father's embrace. But he couldn't risk letting Aisen near them again. So despite his need to comfort his children and himself, he'd gently pushed his crying children behind him. The babbled questions about whether or not they were loved and wanted coming out of his traumatized children, horrified and infuriated him.

How dare that bastard, _how dare he_!

Despite himself his mind flashed back to how broken Conrart had been all those years ago after Aisen had gotten through with him. Would his children be as broken? Would it take as long to put them back together? His hand was shaking with rage, but he kept his sword pointed at the man in front of him. He could feel Ian's small hand clutching his pant leg, he could hear Ysolde's sobbing and they were both shaking as they clung to him.

He wanted to kill the son of a bitch.

"The only reason I don't kill you where you stand, is because my children have been through enough tonight." He snarled as the soldiers who'd been searching with him finally burst into the room. "Arrest them." He said firmly as he sheathed his sword. That handled, he turned, scooped up his children and walked out.

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Alyson sat quietly in the cart she'd been unceremoniously tossed into and along with Aisen, she glanced over at her two crying daughters and wondered how she could have been so stupid. The girls rode behind two of the soldiers that had arrested her and Aisen. She'd over heard the men talking about having to find their parents and had realized they all thought that she and Aisen had stolen them as well. She turned her head and took in the sight of Ian and Ysolde. The two hadn't been let out of their father's sight. Not that she blamed the man. She would have reacted much the same way. Ian was perched in the saddle in front of his father, wrapped securely in the arm that held the big war horse's reins. Ysolde on the other hand was actually cradled in her father's lap, her face buried in his shoulder as she sobbed. In some ways it was interesting the small child had refused to break until she was safe in her father's arms. The man cradled both of his children to him, and the few times she'd caught a glimpse of his face all she had seen had been a look of profound relief.

He must have been terrified for his children.

She would have been terrified for her children.

Hell she was terrified for her children.

She didn't know what was going to happen to her, and thus she didn't know what was going to happen to her daughters.

She never should have listened to Aisen.

But her daughters liked him, or at least they had before the man had decided to move them back to the Great Demon Kingdom.

She didn't know what to do.

Aisen had kidnapped those children and as much as she hated it, she had been a part of that crime. She glanced up as they rode through yet another district, tensing in fear as she wondered how this district's constable would handle her. Would he be lenient because she had honestly believed Aisen's lies and had had only the best of intentions or would he handle her the same way he handled her good for nothing husband?

This district housed the people who were the middle of the middle class. Surely this was where they were headed? Aisen had told her that his former lover was from a family that was better off than his. His family was just below the middle of middle class, so this had to be where they were heading. However they didn't even slow down as they passed the small district guardhouse and jail. She started to shake as they moved out of the middle district and into the high district where the wealthy citizens of the capital city had their manor houses.

Then she saw the first of the soldiers in different livery, blue, then white, and finally dark green clad men joined the brown clad men who'd arrested them, and she really started to get scared. Terror lanced through her when she saw the Maou ride up. The young king road his black horse up alongside Gurrier, "How are they?" he asked gently.

Gurrier's voice was rough with suppressed emotion. "Ian's scared, hasn't said a word since he asked me if his mother and I still loved and wanted them." He paused, "Ysolde hasn't stopped crying since I found them. She's so bruised – I – would have killed the bastard right then and there, but, my babies have been through enough. They don't need to see – that on top of everything else."

The double black inclined his head, "in accordance with the law Aisen is yours to deal with, after you've dealt with your family. As for the woman …"

"I'm not sure if she truly deserves it, but when you handle her keep the fact that she put herself between all four of those children and what probably looked like an armed mad man." Gurrier said simply. "I'll handle Aisen after I see to my children."

FTD3FTD3FTD3FTD3

Conrart lay in his bed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cradled his youngest son to his chest. He was terrified. The sun was coming up and there had been no word. At least Danny was finally sleeping. The poor little guy was scared and confused; all he knew was that his siblings were gone and that a man who looked like his uncle was responsible.

"They'll find them, honey." His mother's voice was gentle.

Conrart offered her a small smile, trying to ignore the cramping in his belly. He closed his eyes briefly Gisela had told him earlier that the best thing he could do for his unborn children was to calm down. But how could he calm down when two of his babies were missing? "Yozak, won't rest until he's found them." He agreed softly, "But how much damage will have been done by then?"

"Try not to think that way, my dear." Cecilia replied, reaching out to gently stroke his hair. "Would you like me to get you some more of that calming tea Gisela said would help to keep you calm?"

Closing his eyes briefly Conrart nodded. He wanted to be out there searching for his children, but his pregnancy prevented that. He gently tucked the blankets around his son as he watched his own mother leave the room. The sound of leathery wings drew his attention, and it didn't take long for the soft chattering of the fly-bone tribe to reach his ears. He couldn't help it he tensed. Had his children been found or was the Tribesman here to let them know that they hadn't acted soon enough? Had Aisen gotten his children out of the capital city?

He resigned himself to waiting for his mother to return with the message. All he could do was pray his children were safe.

Lady Cecilia had a small smile on her face when she came back, the mug of tea in one hand, an open missive in the other. "It's from Gwendal," she said gently. "Yozak found them. Their scared, but it looks like they're okay. There on their way home honey."

Conrart let out a breath, tears of relief streaming down his cheeks, "thank the great one." He whispered and pulled himself out of bed.

"Honey where are you going?" his mother asked gently.

"My children have been through enough of a trauma, I want to be there for them when they get home." He replied, gently scooping up Danny.

The little boy yawned and opened his eyes. "Mama?" he asked drowsily.

Despite himself Conrart smiled at how cute his youngest son looked. "Papa found Ian and Ysolde." He said gently. "I'm going out to the courtyard to meet them, go back to sleep honey."

Dan Hiri shook his head, nuzzling into Conrart's shoulder. "Wan-a see Ian and 'Soldie." He replied drowsily.

"Alright dear." Conrart replied softly.

Lady Cecilia's firm grip on his shoulder stopped him before he could leave the room. He turned to look at her noting the blanket she had draped over one arm. "If you are going out to the courtyard then _I _am carrying Danny." She informed him in a tone that broke no argument. "Furthermore when we get there, you will sit down on the steps and wait. No pacing or other unnecessary stress or I will call Gisela and have you escorted back to your rooms. Are we clear Conrart?"

Conrad sighed; he really wished his mother hadn't been in the room when Gisela had informed him that she was going to have to restrict him to his quarters or bed rest for the duration of his pregnancy if he didn't calm down. She'd also reminded him how much more strain his body was under since he was carrying twins. Hell the healer had threatened to sedate him if he didn't calm down.

She'd actually done it to!

It had only been a mild sedative, but she'd still followed through with the threat. Mutely he handed his son over to the woman and followed her out the door and out into the palace courtyard to await the arrival of his family.

After an astoundingly long 15 minutes the sound of hooves thundering across the draw bridge rang across the courtyard, he rose to his feet heedless of anything else and waited. He glanced over at his mother who sat with Danny in her lap the two of them draped under the blanket they'd all been sharing a moment before.

Cecilia offered him a small smile, "Everything will be alright Conrart." She said gently.

"How did you do it?" he asked after a second's consideration.

"How did I do what?" she asked gently.

Conrart sighed, "Watch your sons go into danger when you have no guarantee we'll come home safely?"

"They are fine Conrart," she replied firmly. "Yozak found them, they are safe."

"They are now, but-"

"Don't think that way honey," his mother probably would have said more but at that moment, Yozak rode into the courtyard, their children in his arms, and surrounded by his in-laws. The man reined in his horse, and handed Ian to Raven before dismounting, cradling Ysolde in his arms. He set her down on the ground, before reaching out and taking Ian back from his 'grandpa'.

Conrart didn't really know when he'd started running, but the next thing he knew he'd collapsed to his knees in front of his mate, blinded by his tears as he cradled his sobbing children to his chest. Firmly reassuring them that they were loved and wanted.

"You can't keep my son from me you worthless whoreing piece of half-breed filth!" an all too familiar voice ranted. "I'm his father and I claim him, you have no right-"

Conrart rose to his feet, gently shoving his children towards their grandmother. Then he turned his eyes on Aisen. He didn't know what he was planning to do, all he knew was that this bastard had kidnapped and verbally abused his children. He didn't know how long it would take to reassure them and convince that everything that had come out of the bastard's mouth was a lie. He looked at the man for a second and felt fear wash over him as he remembered the horrible things this egotistical psychotic monster had put him through. Then he remembered the bruises on his daughter's face and the way his children had clung to him sobbing and begging him to still want them.

Something in him snapped.

"You!" he screamed and flung himself at the rabid animal in front of him. "I'll rip you apart with my bare hands, you vile, loathsome, piece of sun rotted horse manure!"

His fist hit the bastard in the chin; with his hands bound the other man was helpless against his brutality. But he didn't care. "I'll put you down like the mangy curr you are, you fucking asshole! Any resemblance you bare to a person is entirely coincidental, you child stealing, miserable, worthless piece of raping shit!" He was still screaming insults and throwing wild punches when strong arms pulled him away. He struggled flailing, in the other man's grasps trying to get back to the monster he'd been attempting to beat to death.

"Conrart, it won't help." Yozak said gently but firmly holding him back. "I'll take care of the bastard later; right know our children need their parents. They need their mother, and you need to calm down. This isn't good for the baby and you are scaring the children! Calm down, calm down. I've got you. They're safe, they're home, I promise you I'll handle Aisen later, after our children and you have gotten some rest."

Conrart went limp in his husband's arms, and started to sob. Small hands grabbed his pant legs and he looked down at his children. He swallowed, pulled himself upright and composed himself. Yozak let him go and he scooped up his son. Cradling him in his arms as Yozak carefully lifted Ysolde into his arms; then they turned and headed into the castle, Cecilia following silently with Danny.

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Yozak stood silently in the doorway to his bedroom watching as Conrart put Danny to bed, and then set about stripping their older two to the skin and inspecting every inch of them for bruises, or anything else. He'd already seen to Ian's few bruises, wrapped him up in a warm throw blanket and was gently working salve into Ysolde's shoulder when the door opened and Gisela joined them.

"You wanted me to examine them?" she asked gently.

Conrart looked up, "Yes please, I need to know the – that man didn't hurt them."

Yozak honestly didn't know whether to be angry, appalled or relieved by the fact that his mate was having his children very thoroughly examined by a healer.

On the one hand, he was furious with Aisen for causing his children so much trauma, terrified that he'd hurt them, appalled and enraged by the very idea that the bastard might have hurt one of his children in a manor even remotely similar to how he'd hurt their mother. He found himself praying that Gisela would tell them the bastard hadn't done anything more than kidnap them.

"She's fine, nothing more than some bumps and bruises; you can put some clothing on now 'Sodie." Gisela informed them all gently after a few minutes and Yozak let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He walked over and handed his daughter her pajamas and got her tucked into bed beside her brother, before returning to his spot by the door and waiting for Gisela to finish examining Ian. After a few minutes she gave Ian the same prognosis and they got the boy dressed and tucked into bed on the opposite side of his little brother.

"Conrart, Yozak, I'd like a word with you in the other room." She added gently before leaving the room.

"I'll be out in a second," Conrart replied and Yozak couldn't help smiling to himself as he watched his husband kiss and gently tuck each of their children into the center of their large bed. "Papa and I will be in the other room," he reassured their children gently. "Call if you need us."

That said he turned and left the room, Yozak gently slung an arm over his best friend and husband's shoulders, pulling the smaller man closer as they walked. Conrart he noticed was shaking; idly he wondered if his mate had ever stopped, he'd been shaking since Aisen had stolen their children. He was beginning to calm, but Yozak had a feeling that the other man wasn't going to completely calm down for some time to come.

In the living room Gisela was waiting for them perched lightly on their coffee-table in defiance of etiquette. "Conrart I want to give you a look over before I let you go to sleep. Has the cramping stopped?"

Conrart shook his head, "it's not as bad as it was," he replied in an almost timid tone.

Yozak gently guided his lover onto the couch. "Are he and the baby going to be alright?" he asked softly.

"Give me a second to examine them and I'll be able to tell you for sure." She replied gently as she began to examine Conrart. "Ian and Ysoldie, are physically alright other than some bumps and bruises, but the two of you need to be prepared for nightmares from all three of your children." She paused then smiled, "you're alright but I want you to take it easy for the next few days and I don't want to even hear a rumor that you were out of bed before noon Conrart." That said she turned her attention to Yozak after shooting Conrart a rather peculiar look. "All of your children are fine, just make sure _he _rests."

"I will," Yozak replied before scooping Conrart up into his arms and carrying him back into the bedroom adding "thank you Gisela" over his shoulder as he did so.

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Yozak pulled the covers up around his husband's shoulders and smiled at the sight of his son curling up against Conrart's chest. Conrart kissed the child gently on the head and settled himself down to sleep softly reassuring their children they were loved and cared for. Yozak got into bed, and got comfortable on his side. He shifted Ysolde closer to his chest when the child curled up against him seeking comfort. "You're safe, little one." He told his still softly crying daughter as he gathered her to him. He shifted them both, when Conrart reached for his hand.

Yozak smiled softly at the realization that Conrart was reassuring himself as much as the children by ensuring all three were in his arms.

It didn't take long for their children, secure in the safety of their parents' arms to drift off to sleep.

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The children had been asleep for a little over an hour but Conrart just couldn't sleep. His mind kept straying to the Bastard who was currently locked in the palace dungeons. He wanted to kill the bastard for everything he had put his family through. Gisela had ordered him to bed however, and it didn't feel right to leave his children now. Not even to eliminate a threat.

"I'll handle that piece of filth." Yozak said softly from the other side of the bed, startling him since he'd thought he was the only one still awake. "Go to sleep Conrart," Yozak added gently.

Conrart shifted, and closed his eyes. "I don't know if I should ask you to make it quick - so that I know the threat is gone - or if I want you to torture the bastard to death slowly. Does that make me a bad person?"

"No," Yozak replied firmly, "what he's done to you, to our children… I want him dead to. By law his life is forfeit and the method and sentence mine to hand out. Part of me – a very big part- wants to give him a slow and agonizing death. I would have the second I saw him but our children had been through enough, and I didn't need to add nightmares of me killing the asshole to the one's they are already going to have. So I planned to execute him in the dungeons, away from their eyes, but now I think it would be worse for that Bastard if I kill him quickly. After all the one thing he truly wants is immortality and infamy. He wanted fame and money and everything else he could never get on his own through you and the children he'd planned for you to give him. He didn't get a thing that he wanted in life why should I give him the death he would want? He thought he would marry you and father a litter. But you are my lover, my husband, and including the little one you are currently carrying you've given me four beautiful children. Actually I think I might take a certain sadistic pleasure in informing the man of everything he doesn't have before I execute him. However, I'm not going to prolong the execution, it's true I know how to cause the most pain without causing too much damage to his body and if I wanted to I could keep the cretin alive for days. However I have better things to do then hang out with him, like spending time with my mate and our four beautiful children."

"Five," Conrart replied softly.

Yozak's response was soft and slightly confused. "Five, my love?"

Conrart swallowed, well aware of the fact that after everything that had just happened Yozak was likely to wrap him in cotton batting and silk-brocade and lock him in their rooms for safekeeping. "I'm carrying twins." He said softly, waiting for Yozak's overprotective streak to kick in.

Yozak squeezed his elbow gently, "I'm not going to bother asking why you didn't tell me. I know perfectly well that you find the way I act when you're pregnant to be annoying. But please try to see it from my point of view. You very nearly miscarried Ysolde, you were okay with Ian, but miscarried after that and don't think I don't know about the fainting issues and light headedness you suffered with Danny."

Conrart flushed, "I know, it's just I hate not being able to do things."

"Just relax, and rest for a few days. I can't promise I won't be protective, its instinctive, but I can promise that I'll try not to be overbearing. Now try and get some sleep, I'll handle Aisen after we've all had some rest. He won't threaten our family again."

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Yozak waited quietly listening to the sound of his mate's breathing until it evened out in sleep before he allowed himself to drift off.


	10. Chapter 10

"You're just mad that whore of yours liked mine better. The boy is mine; and when I get out of here I'm going to make that whore beg to be taken." Aisen spat, at him as he entered the man's cell. "This time I'll make sure that worthless whore knows what agony is. He'll squeal himself hoarse before I'm done with him."

Yozak crossed his arms he had intended to simply execute the bastard and be done with it. However if the man wanted to play games then he would happily oblige. There was after all a portion of the man's anatomy that he'd enjoy cutting off and cramming down the bastard's throat.

Repeatedly

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Conrart yawned as he crawled up out of the arms of sleep, then sat bolt upright when he realized, the bed was empty. Where were his babies? Had that bastard Aisen gotten loose? Had he just dreamed Yozak bringing the children home safely? Gisela had sedated him at one point, had the rest just been a dream? Where were his mother and little Dan Hiri? Panic washed over him and he started to feel lightheaded as he breathing became labored. He put a hand down and to steady himself and heard paper crumpling beneath his hand. He glanced down and carefully picked up the small sheet of paper. He would have recognized Yozak's handwriting in a blind panic or drunk out of his mind – so he recognized it even now in a near blind panic and he calmed… somewhat.

_Conrart_, the note read, _the kids and I woke up about an hour ago but we decided to let you sleep. I've gone to deal with that man. Our children are currently with their grandparents. Love Yozak_

Conrart relaxed and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His Children were safe with his mother and Raven, likely playing with their aunt. He got up and quickly dressed. At first he'd intended to go get his children, but them he remembered the woman who had been with Aisen earlier. He also remembered Yozak telling him that the woman had put herself between him and all four of the children in the room. That wasn't the response expected from someone who'd just stolen children. No her actions where the actions of a mother protecting her children; and that confused him. He wanted to know why and he wanted to know just how much she'd been involved in the kidnapping of his children.

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Alyson sighed as she paced the confines of her 9ft by 6ft cell. She wanted to kill Aisen. Truthfully the only thing keeping her from it was the fact that the idiot was in another cell somewhere. Occasionally for the last half hour or so, the silence of her cell had been punctuated by a scream. She shivered as another one rang out into the eerie darkness. The only light in her cell came from a small window in the wall above her head.

She wondered what was going to happen to her but mostly she worried for her daughters who had never met the rest of their family and had no hope of finding their grandfather without her. She wondered what the enraged prince do to her and that idiot she had the misfortune of calling husband, however she mostly wondered what he would do to her children.

The sound of a key in the lock alerted her to the presence of another before the door even opened and she flinched back in fear – she'd heard the idiot screaming and she was worried.

Was it her turn to be tortured now?

She recognized the man standing in the doorway, though he was well groomed and rested not the disheveled mess he'd been when she'd seen him clinging to his children and beating Aisen senseless earlier that morning. Somehow she was less afraid of him then she was of the redhead, but a quiet voice in her mind whispered that she was wrong.

She knew who and what he was.

Lord Conrart Weller, the second born son of her nation's former Queen. She also knew he was formidable, and she couldn't help wondering what he had ever seen in Aisen. For that matter she wondered what she had ever seen in Aisen, and she wondered if the stray bruises she's seen on her daughters had come from Aisen's hands. She'd only ever seen Aisen react harshly to her children once – on the ship to Shin Makoku when he'd pulled her daughter off the railing by her hair. In an effort to keep her from falling overboard; supposedly - now she wondered.

Lord Weller stood in front of her and she felt like a bug under a glass. She'd heard tails of his kindness and generosity, as well as his gentle nature and fierce independence. She'd also seen how he'd flown at Aisen with fists, screaming at him in an all out rage. She also remembered how the redhead – Gurrier – had calmly pulled him off and carefully calmed him. She remembered how gentle he'd been when he picked up his son and she remembered just how shaken, how scared, he'd looked at the sight of Aisen.

She also remembered him calling Aisen a rapist.

She remembered Aisen telling her his boyfriend had accused him of rape after his pregnancy had been discovered, but now she honestly didn't know if she could believe the man. The fear in his eyes when he'd first seen Aisen had been very real, and so had his obvious fear and worry for his children. Which if Aisen was to be believed he shouldn't have been displaying at all. A man who didn't want his children didn't fly at their kidnapper shrieking and sure as hell didn't fall to his knees to cradle them in his arms sobbing like a small child himself.

No those were the actions of a terrified parent.

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Conrart closed the door to the cell behind him and leaned almost casually up against it crossing his arms. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Seriously, making Yozak think he'd turned traitor and betrayed everything he held dear was easier then facing this woman with a level head. If he was honest with himself – he wanted to strangle the woman for her part in what Aisen had done. However, on his way down here to interrogate the woman (likely with something sharp) he'd run into Yuri. As usual his king had a kind heart.

Much as he disliked that about him at the moment.

Yuri – true to form had decided to try Alyson for her part in this fiasco, but only if Conrart wanted to press charges after hearing her side of the story.

Which effectively meant her fate was in his hands.

"_I trust that you are honorable enough to do what's right despite your personal feelings." _Yuri had said with all confidence.

Honestly all he'd wanted to do was shout 'then you don't know me," at the top of his lungs. His children had been kidnapped and traumatized and the bitch currently in front of him had had a part in it.

It made his blood boil just thinking about it.

He wanted to take her apart one joint at a time almost as badly as he wanted to slowly flay Aisen alive with a butter knife, and dump the man into a vat of bleach.

He took a deep breath, and faced the woman with an unreadable expression on his face.

He took an almost sadistic pleasure in the fact that she was terrified of him.

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"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't condemn you for kidnapping along with that peace of shit you were arrested with?" the man asked sharply and Alyson shrank back at the sharp tone of his voice.

"Me lord?" she asked softly.

The man swallowed and leaned against the door one hand resting on his stomach. He seemed conflicted when he answered. "For reasons I really can't fathom, his majesty has put your fate in my hands and given me the task of deciding if I want to drop the charges against you or have you tried as an accomplice in Aisen's crime." He paused, and glanced at the wedding ring on her hand. "The way I see it: you either had full knowledge of exactly what your husband was doing and as such are a colossal idiot for actually believing you would get away with kidnapping two members of the royal family." He paused briefly, "Or you believed that lying viper in the grass and had no idea that those kids had been kidnapped - making you an even bigger idiot in my eyes to be perfectly honest. So which is it?"

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Conrart sat quietly and listened to the woman's story. She told it from the beginning, from the moment she married a human man and left her father's farm. He winced at the man's callousness in abandoning his family for a human mistress he'd knocked up. His heart breaking for the woman's daughters at the knowledge of the horrible things the man had called them, - monsters, freaks, abomination, worthless half-breeds, they were all terms that had been applied to him and Yozak throughout their long lives – but at least neither of them had had to hear it from a parent.

He understood her increasing desperation to find a father for her children, and her increasing despair when no human man was willing to shoulder the responsibility for children who he would never see grown. It hurt to admit but he could see her point when she said that Aisen's appearance and interest had seemed like a gift from the Great One. The fact that he wasn't above playing with her children had endeared him to both mother and Children. From the picture of Aisen that she wove, he could see why she'd married him, though the image of the loving caring stepfather was hard to reconcile with his own memories of a brutal sadist. He could barely remember the sweet, charming, and charismatic image the sociopath had projected when he'd first joined his unit.

He winced at the picture of his own Character Aisen had painted for the woman when he'd brought up 'his poor son'. The many discussions they'd had about his character after their decision to leave made it clear to Conrart that Alyson had been prepared to take in an emotionally abused and neglected child. She described Aisen's elation at learning he had twins and his worry and concern for the children who were being brought up in a 'morally decrepit and abusive home with parents who thought they belonged dead in a gutter somewhere'. He listened as her story drew to a close with things his own children's sobbed stories confirmed. Then he nodded and left the cell without a backwards glance.

It seemed as though the woman had been desperate and foolish enough to believe Aisen's words without first verifying their validity. She was a moron as far as he was currently concerned, but as far as he could tell she didn't deserve to be executed or banished for her stupidity. He wanted her to pay for the worry and heart break she'd put him and his family through, but if he was honest with himself he couldn't even really justify his desire to see the damned woman in a quarry.

Truthfully being separated from her own children for this long and not knowing what would happen to them was the worst torture she could endure. He knew that from personal experience.

Much as he didn't want to do it, he was going to drop the charges against the woman; however before he gave Yuri his final decision on the matter there were two little girls he needed to talk to. Aisen had already proven himself capable of rape and kidnapping, not to mention battery if Ysolde's bruises were anything to go by. His wife had proven herself to be idiotically gullible; he needed to make sure those children hadn't been stolen as well.

Even if it was only for his own peace of mind

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Yozak carefully whipped the blood from his knife, and looked over at Aisen who was dangling naked from the ceiling of his cell. Blood still dribbled sluggishly from what was left of the bastard's manhood. He'd painstakingly carved the words rapist and Kidnapper onto the bastard's face, chest and back. It was petty and cruel perhaps but he wanted to be sure that no one ever believed the man again. Aisen gave him a scathing look as Yozak pulled him down.

Yozak just smirked at the man, "Maybe I should let you live, so that everyone will know what you are." He laughed, "Not even a whore would touch you with a ten foot pole – not that you have the anatomy to enjoy that pastime anymore. No one will ever trust you again. You'll be a pariah were ever you go. No one will ever trust you again, not with your crimes written across your face."

"You bastard!" Aisen snarled as Yozak made as if he was going to leave the room.

"Yes I believe that's exactly what I'm going to do." Yozak said simply before he left the man's mostly empty cell purposely forgetting to take the rope with him when he left. Aisen was a coward who craved social standing, adoration and attention in general, knowing that he would live the rest of his life being treated like the freak he was, would be the worst torture he could ever endure. He was too much of a coward to endure such a torture and Yozak would die of shock if the coward didn't give himself a coward's death.

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Conrart sighed; he'd just spent the last few minutes carefully talking to Alyson's two daughters. After having his own children stolen he'd wanted to make sure that the two other children were exactly who the woman said they were.

The girls were understandably scared, and confused. The girls just wanted their mother. In some ways he hated himself for causing those children such an emotional upheaval but when he was honest with himself the whole catastrophe was entirely Aisen's fault and Alyson was a moron for believing the man's story, but her heart had been in the right place in regards to his children.

It didn't change the fact that he wanted to skin the woman and drag her behind his horse over a salt mine at a gallop.

He was honestly having trouble reining in the overprotective mother bear that wanted to hang both Aisen and Alyson for the trauma they'd caused his children. However the two little girls upstairs in one of the empty servants' quarters deserved to have a mother to look after them … even if the woman was an idiot!

He turned and headed for the courtyard where Yuri was currently playing with his own children. Conrart couldn't help smiling at the sight of his Godson and little brother playing with their children and grand child while Greta relaxed against a tree.

After the birth of his first son Yuri had decided to create a 'family night' for the entire royal family once every 6months. It always started with a picnic dinner and games with the children. He'd completely forgotten that tonight was family night in all of the drama.

"Conrart," Yuri called, startling him from his thoughts. His brother in law made his way over, in the past 18 years Yuri had grown and matured a lot. The now 39 year old king looked to be about 18, and Conrart couldn't help wondering just when his boy king had grown up.

He sighed, "I'm not going to press charges against that woman." He said a wee bit sharply before turning on his heel and marching back into the castle to collect his children from their grandmother.

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Conrart sat quietly on one of the balconies overlooking the gardens sipping some tea and leaning into Yozak's side as they watched their three beautiful children playing together. Ian and Ysolde were understandably quite subdued but were at least making an effort for little Danny. Movement below caught his eyes and Conrart rose and walked to the end of the balcony neatly avoiding the blanket his children sat on.

He watched in silence as Alyson led her two daughters through the palace gates and into the city._ Good riddance, _He thought tartly, stiffening slightly when Yozak drew him into his arms.

"She's an idiot, but you did the right thing. Much as I hate it. Those children need their mother. Our children are safe at home, and Aisen's in a cell that's all that matters." Yozak said gently.

"I thought you were going to take care of that man?" he hissed softly.

Yozak rubbed his shoulders, "I did, he can't hurt anyone, doesn't have the parts for it. Besides he wears his crimes on his face, he's no threat to anyone now, and if he chooses to live to see tomorrow I'll eat the rope I 'accidently' forgot to take with me when I left."

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Yozak smiled at the sight of all three of his babies in bed with their mother again. He neither minded nor blamed them for wanting their parents so close. He knew that there had been many times over the years when he would have killed just to be held by his mother one more time. He wouldn't deny his children the simple comfort of their Parents embrace.

He slipped into bed, gladly excepting the small book Ysolde handed him and began to read. By the time he'd finished the short book his children had fallen asleep. Conrart offered him a small smile before settling himself down for bed. Yozak was half asleep when someone knocked on the door. He glanced over at Conrart as the smaller man sat up slowly.

"I'll get it." Conrart whispered softly. "I'm not currently being used as a pillow."

Yozak inclined his head slightly and settled himself back against the pillows gently shifting Ysolde as he did so. He watched Conrart as the smaller man slipped out of bed and padded into their living room on almost silent feet. There was what sounded like a soft conversation followed by the sound of Conrart closing their front door. The smaller man padded softly back into the room and settled himself back down gently shifting Ian who'd sprawled out across the bed in his absence.

Yozak could tell that Conrart was calmer then he had been in years, certainly then he'd been in the last few days. "Honey?" he enquired softly.

Conrart turned his attention to him. "Aisen hung himself," he said softly.

Yozak reached over and gently squeezed Conrart's shoulder, "good riddance."

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Conrart shifted slightly in bed and sat up slowly, Great One he ached. He glanced around the room, "Yozak?" he called quietly when he didn't see his mate, it wasn't like the other man to leave him alone so soon after giving birth.

The door to their living room opened slightly letting in the light and the muffled noise that suggested a large group of people were trying to keep their voices down. Yozak slipped quietly into the room, the light briefly framing his body and shining through his coppery tresses to give him an ethereal glow, before he closed the door plunging the room back into the softer light coming in through the windows. It was twilight.

"How are you feeling?" Yozak asked as he sat carefully on the edge of the bed, and took one of his hands gently into his larger ones.

Conrart considered the question, _how did he feel and why did Yozak look so worried? _There were bags under his eyes and his large hands shook around his smaller one. "Tired," he answered after a few seconds consideration. "Tired and achy."

"Are you hungry?" Yozak asked softly as he gently pulled Conrart into his lap. "If you're not you should be."

"I'm little hungry now that I think about it."

Yozak nodded, "I'll have a servant bring up some food for you." He said softly, before getting up and sticking his head out of their bedroom door.

Conrart shifted slightly, he'd finally given birth to their youngest at dawn, he must have been exhausted to sleep this long. Yozak settled down beside him and wrapped him loosely in his arms. "You've been out for three days." He said gently. "The family and I have been getting very worried about you. I was in the living room with our children when you woke. They needed some reassurance and the rest of the family just wasn't cutting it."

Yozak said something about having the children come in so he could reassure them himself after he'd had something to eat and had Gisela examine him. But he was already on his feet and headed shakily for the door – heedless of his nudity.

Yozak caught him as he staggered and carried him back to the bed despite his protests, and loud…ish demands to see his children 'this instant'. The larger man turned and dragged a robe off of a nearby chair and draped it over Conrart's shoulders. "Put that on first." He said firmly.

Conrart did as he was told noting absently that the robe was Yozak's and seemed to dwarf him. He squeaked when Yozak scooped him up into his arms.

"I'll take you out there, but I will be carrying you. You will stay on the couch you're put on, and you will tell me when you get too tired so that I can either shoo everyone out or take you back to bed. Agreed?" Yozak enquired softly.

Conrart sighed but nodded, knowing Yozak would keep him in bed if he refused to agree. "What did you name the twins?" he asked softly.

Yozak offered him a small smile, "Sasha after your Maternal Grandfather and Zander after your father's father."

Conrart chuckled – or tried to as it ended up coming out wrong. "You do know that Sasha and Zander are essentially the same name right?" he asked softly.

"That's part of the charm," Yozak laughed before falling silent a serious expression on his face. "Listen Conrart, there's something you need to know."

Conrart looked up at him, "what is it?"

Yozak sighed, "Gisela thinks it's to dangerous for you to give me any more children." He held a hand up when Conrart opened his mouth to protest. "Conrart you were in labor with Zander for 15 hours and Sasha for nearly 50, before passing out for three days. The twins are under weight but healthy. You've miscarried twice and Gisela thinks that next time it may cost your life for our child's. Gisela's putting us both on Contraceptives; I've already started taking them. Gisela will likely give them to you with your food – I – I wanted you to be aware of what's going on."

Conrart shifted slightly. "I understand, and I won't ask anything in front of our children, I'll talk to Gisela after the kids are asleep for the night."

Yozak nodded, rose to his feet and carried him carefully out into the living-room.

Gwendal, Yuri and Raven immediately vacated the sofa and Yozak settled him down amidst the cushions covering him with the throw blanket that was draped across the back of the couch. As soon as he stepped away three small projectiles launched themselves at him.

"Mama," Ysolde cried as he wrapped his arms around all three of his older children.

"We scared." Danny said softly into his arm, "You sleep to long."

Ian tugged at his sleeve, "Mama Gisela said you sick."

"I'm going to be fine, I'm tired, but I'll be just fine." Conrart reassured them softly.

He shifted slightly, making room for his children on the sofa.

"Hay Mama, I thought you might like to meet the newest members of the family," Yozak's teasing voice drew his attention away from his three children. The man stood a few feet away with a small squirming bundle in his arms, beside him Wolfram held a slightly bundle.

Smiling he held out his arms for his twins.

"This is Sasha," Yozak said softly as he gently placed the small swaddled infant into his arms.

Conrart shifted the small child to his left arm, whispering "Hello Sasha," as he did so. "And you must be Zander," he said softly as Wolfram handed him the slightly larger child.

Chestnut hair, Conrart noted absently. They both had chestnut hair – more brown then red, but distinctly different in look from Ian's and Ysolde. "How am I ever going to tell you two apart?" he asked softly.

Yozak chuckled, "I'm sure will figure that out given a bit of time."

The sound of a soft yawn drew Conrart's attention away from his mate down to the little ones in his arms, and found himself the focus of identical icy blue gazes. He smiled he had five beautiful children and a loving husband – life couldn't be better.

A.N

thanks for all the reveiws


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